Synonyms of stepped up

stepped up

verb

past tense of step up

as in intensified

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

• intensified
• enhanced
• heightened
• deepened
• strengthened
• consolidated
• reinforced
• amped (up)
• beefed (up)
• pointed (up)
• accentuated
• expanded
• amplified
• broadened
• boosted
• sharpened
• extended
• redoubled
• emphasized
• magnified
• enforced
• augmented
• lengthened
• accelerated
• supplemented
• hastened
• enlarged
• restrengthened
• maximized
• quickened
• stressed
• enlivened
• jazzed (up)
• exacerbated
• aggravated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reduced
• decreased
• moderated
• diminished
• weakened
• tapered (off)
• abated
• subdued
• lessened
• toned (down)
• subsided
• let up (on)
• receded
• waned
• dwindled
• alleviated
• lightened
• eased

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stepped up

Since the Current traded away Ally Sentnor to Angel City, Hopkins stepped up and provided what the Current needed at striker, perhaps as a better stylistic fit than Sentnor. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain stepped up when San Antonio pulled close, combining for 25 points in the second half. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Johan Enslin, an ARPA-E program director, envisions a grid in which power can be converted, directed and managed automatically—much like the way data are routed around the Internet—rather than merely stepped up or down. — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

China has lately stepped up its efforts to secure rare-earth ore around the world. — Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2026

Under Obama, the FBI and other agencies stepped up efforts to crack down on Chinese espionage. — David S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

The state government has since stepped up to help keep the clinic’s small in-house pharmacy sufficiently stocked with MMR vaccines, and the timing has been critical. — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine’s data centers and internet providers in recent days, seeking to disrupt the flow of information in the country. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026

While Aaron Judge is on the shelf for the entirety of this best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, other New York Yankees homegrown talent stepped up to take Game 1 in the Bronx on Tuesday night. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026