as in to intensify
to make markedly greater in measure or degree
candidates stepping up their campaigns as election day draws near stepped up the pace to catch up with the others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in increase
something added (as by growth)
there's been a step-up in productivity since regular breaks were offered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of step up
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Zubac will have plenty more chances to step up as the Clippers (20-24) head out on a three-game trip after Sunday night’s home game against the Brooklyn Nets (12-31).
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
Do Not Disturb is a step-up for Miko that plays with early 2000s inspirations, hotel imagery, and even a surprise Lil Jon cameo.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for step up
Verb
Ziaire Williams stepped up off the bench with nine points of his own, and despite six turnovers that led to nine Boston points, the Nets still entered the fourth holding a slim 81-78 lead.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Zubac will have plenty more chances to step up as the Clippers (20-24) head out on a three-game trip after Sunday night’s home game against the Brooklyn Nets (12-31).
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
The step-up was announced Tuesday at unBoxed, the annual Amazon Ads event, being held this year in Nashville, TN.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
Do Not Disturb is a step-up for Miko that plays with early 2000s inspirations, hotel imagery, and even a surprise Lil Jon cameo.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for step up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step up
Verb
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The visits focus on loneliness and emotional distress, issues that many survivors say have intensified amid the war in Ukraine and rising antisemitism in the United States.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Once markets started moving lower, thin liquidity intensified such price movements, according to several analysts who provided input for this article.—
Charles Lloyd Bovaird II,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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While those percentages add up to a total of 17 percentage points, a union spokesperson confirmed Friday afternoon that the overall increase totals 18% when annual compounding is accounted for.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
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That increase also sets the stage for what many households will notice next year.—
Emma Waldman,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Securing agreements with multiple hyperscalers mitigates risk, stabilizes earnings, and enhances the credibility of the AI narrative to Wall Street.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The company's model allows organizations to extend, protect, and enhance functioning systems without mandatory upgrades, redirecting savings toward strategic priorities rather than following a vendor's timeline.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Production snags have hampered the comeback bid, a disappointment for investors who anticipated more of a boost from new products.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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That’s why housing policies we’re pitched are filled with dreams of construction booms or giant income boosts.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The tools marketed as the future of efficiency may deepen environmental pressures and amplify conflict around extraction, especially in places where communities already struggle to defend land and water rights.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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When a child or young adult shows signs of anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm or suicidal ideation, indecision and adult conflict can deepen the harm.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This post was originally published on January 23 Bitcoin has limped into 2026, flailing in the wake of a gold price boom that’s catapulted it to an eye-watering $34 trillion market capitalization (triggering predictions of even more gains to come).—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s second term came on the heels of the S&P 500’s first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since the 1990s.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While the rise of artificial intelligence that can generate code, text and images has heightened fears that technology will displace workers, Autodesk Chief Executive and President Andrew Anagnost told employees that isn’t what is driving the cuts.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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Students’ concerns about housing are heightened by the ongoing housing shortage near UC Berkeley, which is working to build more units.—
Hamza Adel Fahmy,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition to the change of being at a different location, the festival that's traditionally been held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be held on Saturday and Sunday.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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As such, the front office could be choosing between retaining Simons and using the full nontaxpayer midlevel exception for a new addition.—
Danny Leroux,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Step up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step%20up. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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