racking up

Definition of racking upnext
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

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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 The North Carolina human resources executive spent two months racking up credits through web tutorials after work in 2024, then raced through 11 online classes at the University of Maine at Presque Isle in four weeks. Todd Wallack, Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2026 Legislators understand that the way to increase affordability is to shine a light on the ways in which those companies have been racking up record profits while government regulators are left in the dark. Allysson Bornt, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026 Meanwhile, Operation Sideswipe kept expanding and racking up prosecutorial victories, building off the work of private-sector investigators and lawyers for the trucking companies. Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award for the best receiver in college football this past season for a reason, after racking up 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026 After burning through their savings, the entrepreneurs turned to credit cards, racking up $100,000 in debt each. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026 And Swalwell had been racking up lots of endorsements. Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026 And, in a perfectly fitting twist, UConn can cement that status by overcoming a Michigan powerhouse that is racking up historically impressive numbers, hoping to go down as one of the sport's greatest teams itself. CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026 And, in a perfectly fitting twist, UConn can cement that status by overcoming a Michigan powerhouse that is racking up historically impressive numbers, hoping to go down as one of the sport's greatest teams itself. ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racking up
Verb
  • Lucia Kendall Has made quite the impression since making her debut in October, from scoring her first goal in the 2-0 against Ghana in December to holding her own in the No 10 position against Spain’s midfield in midweek.
    Megan Feringa, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
  • The Golden Knights, who twice trailed before scoring three third-period goals, have not lost in regulation since John Tortorella (8-0-1) took over as coach.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • What went into achieving that brilliant energy between you and Mitchell, behind the scenes?
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Sacking him is an embarrassment for all concerned, but 106 days after his appointment, Chelsea’s executives felt a change was needed to give the club the best possible chance of achieving their remaining aims for the season.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This marks their first winning streak of at least seven games within April since 1989 (also seven).
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
  • In another era of Top Chef, the winning dishes actually would have made their way onto the Cracker Barrel menu.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Presenting decent, competitive teams with the prospect of attaining the best lottery odds will only further encourage those in the middle of the standings to hold a fire sale at the trade deadline to try to drop down.
    Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The first season ended on a final note, and became wildly popular upon its 2023 release, attaining the coveted top spot on the streaming viewership rankings and winning eight Emmys.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Broadnax's case is gaining national attention for what his attorneys say was an unfair trial that saw prosecutors eliminate almost every potential Black juror and use Broadnax's own rap lyrics against him.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
  • For one, Palestine by Joe Sacco, which found its way onto academic syllabi before gaining steam as a collected volume of graphic reporting.
    Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The agency added city funding is expected to make up the majority of its staffing budget going forward, making its future structure heavily dependent on decisions by the City of Los Angeles.
    Teresa Liu, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Las Vegas has depth at the edge, making the Auburn product an interesting pick considering needs like offensive line, defensive tackle and wide receiver are still unfilled.
    Sam Warren, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Racking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racking%20up. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

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