up

\ ˈəp

How to pronounce up (audio)

\

Definition of up

(Entry 1 of 6)

1a(1) : in or into a higher position or level especially : away from the center of the earth

(2) : from beneath the ground or water to the surface

(3) : from below the horizon

(4) : upstream sense 1

(5) : in or into an upright position sit up especially : out of bed

b : upward from the ground or surface pull up a daisy

c : so as to expose a particular surface

2 : with greater intensity speak up

3a : in or into a better or more advanced state

b : at an end your time is up

c : in or into a state of greater intensity or excitement

d : to or at a greater speed, rate, or amount prices went up

e : in a continual sequence : in continuance from a point or to a point from third grade up at prices of $10 and up up until now

4a(1) : into existence, evidence, prominence, or prevalence

(2) : into operation or practical form

b : into consideration or attention bring up for discussion

5 : into possession or custody

6a : entirely, completely button up your coat

b —used as an intensifierclean up the house

7 : in or into storage : by lay up supplies

8a : so as to arrive or approach

b : in a direction conventionally the opposite of down:

(1) : to windward

(2) : northward

(3) : to or at the top

(4) : to or at the rear of a theatrical stage

9 : in or into parts

10 : to a stop —usually used with draw, bring, fetch, or pull

11 : for each side the score is 15 up

up

Definition of up (Entry 2 of 6)

1a : risen above the horizon the sun is up

c : being out of bed

d : relatively high the river is up was well up in her class

e : being in a raised position : lifted windows are up

f : being in a state of completion : constructed, built

g : having the face upward

h : mounted on a horse a new jockey up

i : grown above a surface the corn is up

j(1) : moving, inclining, or directed upward the up escalator

(2) : bound in a direction regarded as up

2a(1) : marked by agitation, excitement, or activity

(2) : positive or upbeat in mood or demeanor

b : being above a former or normal level (as of quantity or intensity) attendance is up the wind is up

c : exerting enough power (as for operation) sail when steam is up

d : ready specifically : highly prepared

e : going on : taking place find out what is up

3a : risen from a lower position men up from the ranks

b : being at the same level or point did not feel up to par

c(1) : well informed : abreast up on the news

(2) : being on schedule up on his homework

d : being ahead of one's opponent

4a : presented for or undergoing consideration contract up for negotiation also : charged before a court up for robbery

b : being the one whose turn it is you're up next

up against

: confronted with : face-to-face with the problem we are up against

up to

1 : capable of performing or dealing with feels up to the task

2 : engaged in what is he up to

3 : being the responsibility of it's up to me

up

Definition of up (Entry 3 of 6)

1a —used as a function word to indicate motion to or toward or situation at a higher point ofwent up the stairs

b : up into or in the was hid away up garret— Mark Twain

2a : in a direction regarded as being toward or near the upper end or part of lives a few miles up the coast walked up the street

b : toward or near a point closer to the source or beginning of sail up the river

3 : in the direction opposite to sailed up the wind

up

Definition of up (Entry 4 of 6)

1 : one in a high or advantageous position

2 : an upward slope

3 : a period or state of prosperity or success

4 : upper entry 3

5 : a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of +2/3 and that is one of the constituents of a nucleon

up

upped\ ˈəpt

How to pronounce up (audio)

\ or in intransitive verb sense 2 up; upped; upping; ups or in intransitive verb sense 2 up

Definition of up (Entry 5 of 6)

intransitive verb

1a : to rise from a lying or sitting position

b : to move upward : ascend

2 —used with and and another verb to indicate that the action of the following verb was either surprisingly or abruptly initiatedhe up and quit his job

transitive verb

1 : raise, lift

2a : to advance to a higher level:

(2) : promote sense 1a

b : raise sense 8d

UP

Definition of UP (Entry 6 of 6)

Upper Peninsula (of Michigan)

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about up

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Examples of up in a Sentence

Adverb The land rises up from the valley. She stood beneath the window and called up to her friend. Please pick your clothes up off the floor. We watched the sun come up. He held up his hand. We stored the boxes up in the attic. She stuck a notice up on the wall. What's going on up there? He looked up at the stars. The cards were on the table facing up. Adjective The candy is up on the top shelf. The window is already up. Your package is up at the front desk. We were up near the stage. Are the kids up yet? We are up every morning at six. I was up all night studying for the test. Gas prices are up again. Preposition He climbed up the ladder. She had to walk her bike up the hill. The bathroom is up the stairs. Go up the street and turn left. We walked up the street to meet them. They live just up the block from us. I paddled the canoe up the river. The ship sailed up the coast. Her office is all the way up the hall on the right. He paced up and down the hall, waiting for news about his wife's operation. Verb climbing fuel prices have forced the delivery company to up its prices the road constantly ups and downs as it makes its way over the hills

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb The major Asia indexes are mixed in afternoon trading with the Shanghai Composite up 0.7%. — Bernhard Warner, Fortune, "Why Goldman Sachs sees a very different kind of markets rally ahead for 2021," 5 Jan. 2021 During the week of March 15, when stay-at-home orders came down in the Bay Area and many other parts of the country, retail wine sales were up 66% by value year-over-year, according to Nielsen. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "Pandemic drinking did not save the wine industry's slowing sales, new data shows," 5 Jan. 2021 Sports betting, meanwhile, was up 39%, even with actual matches disrupted by Covid-19. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, "MGM’s Entain Bet Could Help the House Keep Winning," 4 Jan. 2021 For the first nine months of 2020, the division’s revenue was up nearly 13% to $19.5 billion. — Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, "Former head of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 division dies at age 55," 4 Jan. 2021 The median price per square foot of $209 in November was up 13.6% compared to the same period the previous year. — oregonlive, "Oregon cities with the most affordable homes: Less cost, more living space," 3 Jan. 2021 Sales of backcountry split boards — snowboards that separate into halves resembling skis and can be equipped with climbing skins — increased 191%, and snowshoe sales were up 221%, according to the study. — Thomas Peipert, ajc, "Safety issues mount as skiers hit backcountry in pandemic," 2 Jan. 2021 Carjackings, where victims are more typically targeted at random than in killings or shootings, were up about 124%, from 105 to about 235, according to City Council statistics. — Ramon Antonio Vargas, NOLA.com, "Killings and shootings soared in 2020, one of New Orleans' bloodiest years since Hurricane Katrina," 1 Jan. 2021 But purchases at his shops this year were up about 75% compared to a normal holiday season, Motes said. — Monivette Cordeiro, orlandosentinel.com, "Florida gun sales surge amid 2020 pandemic, protests, election," 1 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Fight Club won’t be focusing on old-man grudge matches, but more on up-and-coming boxers and quasi-concerts with premium production values. — Manouk Akopyan, Los Angeles Times, "Snoop Dogg launches boxing league, seeking success where others in hip-hop have failed," 2 Dec. 2020 The former five-star recruit left a lot to be desired in an up-and-down-and-down-some-more freshman season with Huskies, but as a 6-10 wing with a near 7-foot wingspan, there’s a lot to tempt teams. — Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, "The Tribune’s mock NBA draft — the 2.0 version," 17 Nov. 2020 Nameberry and BabyCenter find more up-and-coming names. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "The Most Popular Baby Names of 2021 for Both Boys and Girls," 27 Oct. 2020 The Bulldogs went through an up-and-down spell midway through the season, dropping 10 of 18 matches. — Matthew Vantryon, The Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Streaks broken, pursuit of perfection, surprise success and more from volleyball sectionals," 18 Oct. 2020 The California Fish and Game Commission on Thursday chose, for the second meeting in a row, to continue the discussion instead of giving the item an up-or-down vote. — Rebecca Plevin, USA TODAY, "In CA: Uber and Lyft get a green light, chaos at an L.A. Post Office, and fires rage on," 21 Aug. 2020 Valued for his versatility, scoring off the bench and locker room leadership, Gay dropped 10 pounds in the offseason to better fit into the team’s new up-tempo attack. — Tom Orsborn, ExpressNews.com, "Spurs’ roster breakdown for 2020-21," 19 Dec. 2020 Virginia Tech ended its season on an up note by beating rival Virginia 33-15 to end a four-game losing streak. — Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, "Virginia Tech players opt out of playing in bowl, ending nation's longest streak at 27 years," 17 Dec. 2020 There’s no position that remains more up-in-the-air at this point than running back. — oregonlive, "Oregon Ducks football position-by-position signing day grades: Running back," 16 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition Senior Brendan McCabe added a goal and assist, and sophomore James Stone picked up his first varsity win in goal. — Jacob Levin, BostonGlobe.com, "Norwood boys’ hockey team happy to have a Skating Club to call home," 7 Jan. 2021 About half of its insurgents were elected, and the GOP picked up a total of 84 seats and the House with it—their biggest midterm gains since 1938. — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, "“Bipartisanship” Is Climate Poison," 6 Jan. 2021 His comments were made in November to Freakonomics Radio but picked up this week by CNBC. — Los Angeles Times, "Column: Whole Foods CEO says we can lower healthcare costs by not getting sick," 6 Jan. 2021 The effort to recall Newsom picked up a few more large donors in the past week, a finance report shows. — Dustin Gardiner, SFChronicle.com, "Source of mysterious $500,000 donation to recall Gavin Newsom is revealed," 5 Jan. 2021 In 2019, Alibaba picked up a minority stake in NetEase Cloud Music for $700 million. — Laura He, CNN, "Alibaba is shutting down its music streaming app," 5 Jan. 2021 The driver left the vehicle and police believe the suspect was picked up by another vehicle, according to Capt. — Janelle Jessen, Arkansas Online, "Pickup truck hits Siloam Springs Intermediate School," 5 Jan. 2021 The next season: The Whalers picked up 23 points and eight wins in ‘83-84 thanks to a defense that went from allowing 403 goals (21 of 21 teams) to 320 (13th). — Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, "Here's what the Detroit Red Wings can learn from four decades of NHL's worst teams," 5 Jan. 2021 Both picked up doubters about their defense based on a couple of isolated performances. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "In an Ohio State-Alabama national championship poised for a shootout, what does a winning defense look like?," 5 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Sorento ticks another box with a lockable center differential and mechanical AWD, equipment which should up its game in slush and snow quite a bit. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "2021 Kia Sorento: Finally, an SUV That’s the Right Size for Families," 16 Dec. 2020 Again, Cydia argues that more competition would force Apple to up its game. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Apple’s app store is an illegal monopoly, rival Cydia claims in suit," 11 Dec. 2020 Get ready to up your cooking game while learning so much in the process. — SELF, "8 Food Podcasts This R.D. Loves to Listen to While Cooking," 3 Dec. 2020 Alibaba is spending 28 billion Hong Kong dollars ($3.6 billion) to up its stake in Sun Art Retail Group from 36% to 72%, the company said in a statement Monday. — Sherisse Pham, CNN, "Alibaba is spending more than $3 billion to dominate online groceries in China," 19 Oct. 2020 And having grown everything from herbs to Brussels sprouts to squash, she's been able to up her game in the kitchen. — Kelsey Hurwitz, Woman's Day, "Sutton Foster Has Spent Quarantine Experimenting in the Kitchen With Her Daughter," 12 Oct. 2020 The White House went into the meeting with plans to up its stimulus offer from $1.3 trillion to $1.5 trillion—and include provisions that would allow the package to rise to $2 trillion if the pandemic persists beyond a certain point. — Fortune, "‘Very, very far apart’: Pelosi and Mnuchin fail to reach a deal on bill including stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment," 30 Sep. 2020 The museum’s plan to up its digital presence isn’t new. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, "You Can Now Download 1.9 Million Free Images From the British Museum," 4 May 2020 Beginning Monday, the Unified Command Group will up its medical screenings of staff from once daily to twice daily, Trost said. — Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, "Staffer at Colorado’s Emergency Operations Center tests positive for coronavirus," 5 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for up

up

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of up

(Entry 1 of 5)

: from a lower to a higher place or position

: in a high position or place

: toward the sky or ceiling

up

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of up (Entry 2 of 5)

: in a high place or position

: raised so as to be opened

: risen above the horizon

up

preposition

English Language Learners Definition of up (Entry 3 of 5)

: to, toward, or at a higher point on (something)

: along the course or path of (something)

up

noun

English Language Learners Definition of up (Entry 4 of 5)

: a period or state of success, happiness, etc.

up

verb

English Language Learners Definition of up (Entry 5 of 5)

: to make (something) higher

See the full definition for up in the English Language Learners Dictionary

up

\ ˈəp

\

Kids Definition of up

(Entry 1 of 5)

1 : in or to a high or higher place or position She put her hand up.

2 : in or into a vertical position Stand up.

3 : from beneath a surface (as ground or water) Come up for air.

4 : with greater force or to a greater level Speak up. Turn the heat up.

5 : so as to make more active Stir up the fire.

6 : so as to appear or be present The missing ring turned up.

7 : completely Use it up.

8 : so as to approach or be near He walked up and said “hello.”

9 : from below the horizon The sun came up.

10 : out of bed What time did you get up?

11 : in or into a better or more advanced state He worked his way up in the company. She grew up on a farm.

12 : for consideration or discussion I brought up the issue.

13 : into the control of another I gave myself up.

14 —used to show completenessFill up the gas tank.

15 : so as to be closed Seal up the package.

16 : in or into pieces The puppy tore it up.

17 : to a stop Pull up at the curb.

18 : into a working or usable state I set up the computer.

up

Kids Definition of up (Entry 2 of 5)

1 : risen above the horizon or ground The sun is up.

2 : being out of bed

3 : unusually high Gas prices are up.

4 : having been raised or built The windows are up. The house is up.

5 : moving or going upward an up elevator

6 : being busy and moving about He likes to be up and doing things.

7 : well prepared Are you up for this challenge?

8 : happy or excited The team was up after their win.

9 : going on Find out what's up.

10 : at an end Time is up.

11 : well informed I'm not up on the latest news.

12 : functioning correctly The computer system is up.

up

Kids Definition of up (Entry 3 of 5)

1 : to, toward, or at a higher point of He climbed up a ladder.

2 : to or toward the beginning of We paddled up a river.

3 : along entry 1 sense 1 Let's walk up the street.

up to

1 : as far as We found ourselves in mud up to our ankles.

2 : in accordance with The game was not up to our standards.

3 : to the limit of The car holds up to six people.

up

Kids Definition of up (Entry 4 of 5)

: a period or state of doing well You've had your ups and downs.

up

upped; upping

Kids Definition of up (Entry 5 of 5)

1 : to act suddenly or surprisingly The teenager upped and left home.

2 : to make or become higher Coffee producers upped prices.

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