1
as in thrilling
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings of
the crowd was pumped up by the band's rocking performance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in increasing
to make greater in size, amount, or number
that pop diva is trying to pump up album sales with an extended publicity tour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pumping up
Each one of the over 300 locations had to be 300 times less likely to fail than if there had been only one, pumping up the design, manufacturing and testing requirements – and inflating the cost.
—
Martin Elvis, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
True, pumping up the dosage can give women an almost euphoric high, Christmas says.
—Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 25 Dec. 2025
Different members took turns pumping up the team.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
That combination of offering greater value to consumers while pumping up a long-dormant marketing muscle is the sort of thing upon which a movement may be founded.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Springsteen was reportedly a frequent visitor on the set of Deliver Me From Nowhere — undoubtedly pumping up the extras, and presumably stressing out the actors.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
August 20, 2025 – Bryan Danielson pumping up the crowd on AEW Dynamite.
—Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Even the normally surefire element of a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, with its blasts of dissonance pumping up the squirm factor, adds to the heavy-going effect of a movie that seems to go out of its way to be grating.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
The company started pumping up its website during the pandemic when people were not shopping stores.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025
Martin Elvis, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
True, pumping up the dosage can give women an almost euphoric high, Christmas says.
—Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 25 Dec. 2025
Different members took turns pumping up the team.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
That combination of offering greater value to consumers while pumping up a long-dormant marketing muscle is the sort of thing upon which a movement may be founded.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Springsteen was reportedly a frequent visitor on the set of Deliver Me From Nowhere — undoubtedly pumping up the extras, and presumably stressing out the actors.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
August 20, 2025 – Bryan Danielson pumping up the crowd on AEW Dynamite.
—Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Even the normally surefire element of a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, with its blasts of dissonance pumping up the squirm factor, adds to the heavy-going effect of a movie that seems to go out of its way to be grating.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
The company started pumping up its website during the pandemic when people were not shopping stores.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumping up
Verb
-
Monday’s contest was thrilling from the start.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The love between Anthony and Kate (Simone Ashley) began with a thrilling chase on horses through a lush forest in Windsor Great Park.—
Kayla Keegan,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now, decoupling supply chains are driving manufacturing growth in the West once more, electric vehicles and home heat pumps need to be plugged in, and the makers of AI’s large language models have ever-increasing power needs.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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The move marks a broader trend from the brand, which has been increasing its visibility to new markets through the world of sports, and, at the moment, none is hotter than that of F1.—
Blake Buettner,
Robb Report,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For Harrington and her husband Dante, the thought of triplets was shocking but exciting all the same.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Future versions are projected to extend driving range to around 310–372 miles (500–600 kilometers), expanding suitability beyond short-range applications.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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Bill Gates named in Epstein files Documents released from the Epstein files indicate that Gates and Epstein met repeatedly after Epstein's prison term to discuss expanding the Microsoft founder's philanthropic efforts.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His naked self-dealing, weaponizing the Justice Department against his political foes, turning on our allies, the casino-fication of the White House — none of it bodes well for the future of our democracy, setting precedents that other presidents on both sides of the aisle could very well continue.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Kay, of course, is referencing Whitney turning on Jonah by ousting him from his own company.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That could be a signal that the pace of layoffs is accelerating.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Alphabet reported fantastic fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, proof that its eye-popping spending on artificial intelligence is accelerating growth across all its businesses.—
,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An electrifying offensive threat, the senior converted from wideout to quarterback during this past season.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
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Soon after, Epstein writes to Musk asking for help electrifying his Caribbean island or his New Mexico ranch with solar power, since Musk was then chairman of SolarCity.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When consumed in reasonable amounts, artichokes can offer health benefits, such as protecting your liver, boosting heart health, regulating blood sugar levels, and more.—
Julie Marks,
Verywell Health,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Pats and Seahawks aren’t quite the draw of the Eagles and Chiefs, but Nielsen’s new measurement system has been boosting TV ratings across sports over the past six months, so put me down for a record 128 million (or more), especially considering the global appeal of Bad Bunny.—
Dan Shanoff,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pumping up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumping%20up. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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