racking up

present participle of rack up
1
as in scoring
to gain (as points or runs in a game) as credit towards one's total number of points having racked up a huge number of points in the short program, the figure skater would have to have a disastrous long program in order to miss out on a medal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of racking up With debts racking up, Ina loses the family’s bus company, forcing her to shift between jobs, from construction to becoming a bar entertainer, therefore forging an identity through toil. Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026 More recently, a video showcasing her classroom setup for the new school year went viral, racking up more than 600,000 views. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 Seline, a 14- to 17-course epicurean adventure told through seasonal and regional ingredients, innovative techniques and showy plating that makes use of bones, antlers and bowls within bowls, has been racking up accolades in 2026. Carrie Bell, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Now in its third year, the 2026 edition saw 65 clubs participate, and Start 2 Finish’s Jen Forsyth says 500 to 600 people spent the winter month bouncing around Charlotte racking up stickers. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2026 Most of these posts and videos barely get any attention, racking up only, at best, a few hundred likes and a few thousand views. Frank Landymore, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026 The actor, who played eldest son Brad Taylor, was sentenced to 14 months in jail in February after racking up several DUI charges in recent years. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 30 July 2026 Besides Season 4 of Bridgerton, nothing else on the service even came close to racking up that large of an audience. Katie Campione, Deadline, 16 July 2026 This game could feasibly end up racking up a big scoreline if both managers elect to go with some zany selections. Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racking up
Verb
  • Preferably, any recruit would also offer creativity from deep, given Newcastle need to try to compensate for the loss of creativity and goal-scoring threat that Guimaraes provided in midfield.
    Chris Waugh, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Allisha Gray tied her career high with 32 points to lead all scorers, while Angel Reese finished with another double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
    Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In this week’s issue of PEOPLE, select images from Intimate Audrey offer a closer look at the star’s life outside the spotlight, from her childhood to tender moments with her own family after achieving superstardom.
    Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
  • So achieving old-fashioned summertime bliss is, and perhaps always has been, mostly a matter of privilege.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Teams earned points by winning weekly head-to-head battles – tugging a sled across the field the fastest, surviving a heated game of dodgeball – and by simply doing the right thing.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Pinch-hitter Max Muncy crushed a three-run shot in the sixth inning to become the top home run hitter in Dodger Stadium history, but Los Angeles’ three-game winning streak ended with another concerning bullpen meltdown.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • What came to me was a simple but valuable intuition that healing is not about attaining the grace of God, but about the loving freedom that comes from reflecting God!
    Dilshad Khambatta Eames, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Financial firms are now gearing up to jump into the market in a different way, as executives like Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and KKR's Waldemar Szlezak see AI equipment attaining familiar money-making characteristics.
    Kif Leswing, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Elisabeth Wright Burak, a policy researcher at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, said Trump’s tax-and-spending law is stifling the momentum states had been gaining with maternal care since 2022.
    Andrew Jones, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Large-city districts as a group did better, gaining 11 to 12 points.
    Michael Casserly, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Whenever the veteran coach looked at game film, Scott always seemed to be there making a big throw or run.
    Stan Awtrey, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The Moon enters Sagittarius and your 11th House of Friends, Groups, and Future Plans, making teamwork, invitations, and shared goals more active.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Racking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racking%20up. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster