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
Taking his place in one of the Broadhurst Theatre’s box seats, DJ Griddlebone wastes no time pumping up the crowd and welcoming all and sundry Jellicles to the stage.
—
Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
Scammers start out by buying shares of a cheap stock but then convince others to buy big, pumping up the stock's value so the scammers can then sell their shares for huge profits.
—Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
War has always been a time for propaganda, of demonizing the enemy and pumping up your side.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
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
Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
Scammers start out by buying shares of a cheap stock but then convince others to buy big, pumping up the stock's value so the scammers can then sell their shares for huge profits.
—Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
War has always been a time for propaganda, of demonizing the enemy and pumping up your side.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumping up
Verb
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In Aeropittura, militarized perspective feels thrilling, inevitable, even beautiful.—
Simon Denny,
Artforum,
20 Apr. 2026
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Planning a solo trip can feel both thrilling and daunting.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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South Korea is increasing generation at its nuclear plants and speeding up maintenance at five offline reactors, with restarts planned in May.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Bolivia is low on cash after making more than $500 million in debt payments last month, increasing the urgency of reaching a deal with the International Monetary Fund.—
Sergio Mendoza,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 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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The executive director of Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District provided a statement, saying the wharf is evolving, new businesses are opening, and the area is expanding in ways that make Fisherman's Wharf more accessible and engaging.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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These are jobs not created, customers not served, communities that don’t reap the benefits of expanding local business.—
Walter Rowen,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Another ship, the Ladonna, had been at Bandar Imam Khomeini for a week before turning on its transponder Tuesday and journeying into the Persian Gulf.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Chavez and his aides repeatedly claimed that their critics are Communist or grower sympathizers who infiltrated the UFW before turning on it.—
Marcos Breton,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The accelerating adoption of AI is also leading to mishaps.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The practice has often come under fire for destabilizing markets and accelerating sharp sell-offs during bouts of extreme volatility and pushing vulnerable companies into distress.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Stephen Curry scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half, Al Horford hit four 3-pointers during Golden State's electrifying fourth-quarter comeback, and the Warriors advanced in the NBA's play-in tournament with a 126-121 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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The same is true of these young Trail Blazers, who have rode a late-season surge all the way to their first playoff appearance since 2021, when Damian Lillard was still electrifying Rip City with his logo 3s.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The job cuts arrived just weeks after activist investor Irenic Capital Management took a stake in the company and called for swift changes to improve its financial performance, including a recommendation that Snap cut its workforce in hopes of boosting the stock price.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Over the years, Hershey has taken a turn toward snacks other than chocolate or candy, boosting its brands with salty snacks from pretzels to popcorn, and diversifying its business to keep up with consumer habits.—
David P. Willis,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pumping up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumping%20up. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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