as in to anger
to make angry
finding yet another mistaken charge on his hospital bill really steamed him up
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Recent Examples of steam up
Since cool air can't hold as much moisture as warm air, more of the water will go down the drain instead of steaming up your bathroom mirror.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s fitness classes, and then there’s fitness classes that go all out to ‘90s hip-hop and bounce music at Crescent Park while ships steam up the Mississippi River.
—Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
Heated Rivalry's love story steamed up the ice in locales around the globe, and is just in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics, where there's no shortage of hockeymania.
—Laura Fiengo, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
This is to the benefit of Calva’s Teddy and Camila Morrone’s Roxana, who steam up the screen at every opportunity.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2026
In January 1899, the American gunboat USS Wilmington set out on an expedition to Venezuela, steaming up the Orinoco River toward the country’s interior.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
On Valentine’s Day weekend, a fresh take on Brontë’s Wuthering Heights with Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie is set to steam up screens.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page are gearing up to steam up the screen in a romantic comedy that promises fun twists, turns and some terribly good-looking people.
—Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
So why does this change have me a little, well, steamed up?
—Vivek Astvansh, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s fitness classes, and then there’s fitness classes that go all out to ‘90s hip-hop and bounce music at Crescent Park while ships steam up the Mississippi River.
—Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
Heated Rivalry's love story steamed up the ice in locales around the globe, and is just in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics, where there's no shortage of hockeymania.
—Laura Fiengo, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
This is to the benefit of Calva’s Teddy and Camila Morrone’s Roxana, who steam up the screen at every opportunity.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2026
In January 1899, the American gunboat USS Wilmington set out on an expedition to Venezuela, steaming up the Orinoco River toward the country’s interior.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
On Valentine’s Day weekend, a fresh take on Brontë’s Wuthering Heights with Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie is set to steam up screens.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page are gearing up to steam up the screen in a romantic comedy that promises fun twists, turns and some terribly good-looking people.
—Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
So why does this change have me a little, well, steamed up?
—Vivek Astvansh, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steam up
Verb
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Doing so risks angering powerful industries — from agriculture to construction to hospitality — that rely heavily on low-wage immigrant labor.—
Federico Peña,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
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One big question is whether Apple will fight to claw back its tariffs or eat the costs to avoid angering the president.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There are a few things about this that infuriate me.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
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For women in perimenopause and menopause, when hormones feel unpredictable and symptoms can be frustrating (er, infuriating) and vague, having a tool that makes at least one piece of the internal puzzle visible can be empowering.—
Rita Templeton,
Flow Space,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Coupled with large reductions to downtown trophy buildings and ever-increasing tax levies from local governments, bills that landed late last year enraged many homeowners.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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Most are evasive, a few are obsequious, many are defiant, a few are enraged, and all appear to feel their lives slipping away under the seemingly boundless force of judicial inquisition.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Maybe this will be the year when the owner stops being annoyed.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
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In the statement, the zoo said the mother may have thought her baby was annoyed with Punch, which upset her.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steam%20up. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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