variants
or step ups
as in increases
something added (as by growth)
there's been a step-up in productivity since regular breaks were offered
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Recent Examples of step-ups
Squats aren’t the only way to build strong quads—moves like step-ups, lunges, and leg presses target them just as well.
—
Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 15 Apr. 2026
The exercise program involved two group exercise classes per week, including 30 minutes of intervals on an exercise bike, then 15 minutes of circuit training (step-ups, boxing, squats, kettlebells, and so on).
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Examples include air squats, step-ups, push-ups, and dips.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 8 Dec. 2025
Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 15 Apr. 2026
The exercise program involved two group exercise classes per week, including 30 minutes of intervals on an exercise bike, then 15 minutes of circuit training (step-ups, boxing, squats, kettlebells, and so on).
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Examples include air squats, step-ups, push-ups, and dips.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step-ups
Noun
-
These increases are long overdue, considering the outstanding work Florida Department of Corrections does every day.—
John Koufos,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2026
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This suggests that enterprises are no longer satisfied with AI chatbots gently nudging increases in productivity.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Noun
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New additions include Somni in West Hollywood, Addison by William Bradley in San Diego, and Sons and Daughters in San Francisco.—
Angela Osorio,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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That being said, Breslow confirmed that the Red Sox have explored making external additions to help the team.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
For astronomers like Key, scouring the skies for brief boosts in starlight is still the best hope for finding PBHs.—
Jonathan O'Callaghan,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
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Along with the digital ad tax, Ventura and others are advocating for closing corporate tax loopholes, among other revenue boosts to the state from the wealthy.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2026
Noun
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But violence has since roared back, in part because armed groups have taken advantage of peace negotiations with Petro’s government to make territorial gains.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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Summarizing documents, drafting emails, building slides has been the early harvest, and the productivity gains from these applications are real but also well understood and increasingly commoditized.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Step-ups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step-ups. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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