climb

1 to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling visitors should use caution when climbing over the wet rocks along the shore Synonyms clamber, scrabble, scramble, swarm Related Words shimmy, shin, shinny, skin; ascend, breast [chiefly British], free-climb, get up, mount, scale, summit, surmount; claw, sprawl, struggle

2 to move or extend upward smoke from the cabin climbing in the still mountain air Synonyms arise, aspire, ascend, lift, mount, rise, soar, thrust, up, uprise, upthrust, upturnRelated Words surge, tower; boost, elevate, raise, upheave, uplift, upraise; balloon, blast off, take off, zoom; crest, scale, surmount, top; cant, incline, lean, list, recline, slant, slope, tilt, tipNear Antonyms dive, nose-dive, plummet, sink, slideAntonyms decline, descend, dip, drop, fall (off), plunge

3 to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number complaints to the cable company climbed after the changeover Synonyms accelerate, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon (also bourgeon), increase, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, swell, waxRelated Words jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge; heighten, intensify, redouble; blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up); crescendo, crest, peakAntonyms contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane