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
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Recent Examples of stepped up
After winning the first set easily on Friday, Sinner appeared fatigued as Medvedev stepped up his game and started running him around the court with drop shots and groundstrokes to the corners.
—
ABC News, 16 May 2026
After Guyer’s Finley Montgomery tossed a no-hitter on Wednesday, Byron Nelson sophomore Meredith Hambric stepped up and powered her team to victory in another pitchers’ duel.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026
Other Knicks stepped up, particularly on the defensive end; Bridges finished the game with a layup and dance moves, after stymieing the 76ers star Tyrese Maxey.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
Fasano stepped up with a go-ahead goal as the Bucs had a 7-6 lead at the end of the third.
—Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 10 May 2026
Haven’t these 187,000 individuals stepped up, surpassing their citizen neighbors in a way central to American republicanism?
—Michael Szalma, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Smith’s prosecution comes one month after the Department of Justice (DOJ) stepped up its fraud enforcement.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
By the time Game 6 rolled around, Minnesota was without star Anthony Edwards, sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo and even Ayo Dosunmu, who had stepped up earlier in the series in the absence of the latter duo.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 May 2026
At the same time, the Iranian regime has stepped up its brutal crackdown on dissent.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
ABC News, 16 May 2026
After Guyer’s Finley Montgomery tossed a no-hitter on Wednesday, Byron Nelson sophomore Meredith Hambric stepped up and powered her team to victory in another pitchers’ duel.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026
Other Knicks stepped up, particularly on the defensive end; Bridges finished the game with a layup and dance moves, after stymieing the 76ers star Tyrese Maxey.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
Fasano stepped up with a go-ahead goal as the Bucs had a 7-6 lead at the end of the third.
—Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 10 May 2026
Haven’t these 187,000 individuals stepped up, surpassing their citizen neighbors in a way central to American republicanism?
—Michael Szalma, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Smith’s prosecution comes one month after the Department of Justice (DOJ) stepped up its fraud enforcement.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
By the time Game 6 rolled around, Minnesota was without star Anthony Edwards, sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo and even Ayo Dosunmu, who had stepped up earlier in the series in the absence of the latter duo.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 May 2026
At the same time, the Iranian regime has stepped up its brutal crackdown on dissent.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepped up
Verb
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With Boston ruled out just before tip-off due to a lower leg injury, the spotlight on Caitlin Clark intensified.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Moreno, a health director for a labor union, said he was consumed at the time with his job, which suddenly intensified as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Herrero also sought to use practical effects throughout the film, including gunfire and explosions, often enhanced with visual effects.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
ChatGPT Enterprise offers enhanced privacy protections, larger context windows, and administrative controls appropriate for law firms and legal departments handling confidential client information.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Through writing the screenplay and collaborating with Young and Johnson, Harris was able to flesh out these characters in a way that heightened the tragic undertones of their story.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
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Everything in this screen world is heightened, slightly off-kilter, but entirely plausible (with the exception being Ruby’s wretched body, still burning after all these years).—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Meehan’s family soon moved to the Toures’ neighborhood, and the friendship deepened.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 left Moscow shunned on the global stage and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade due to Western sanctions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Verb
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An historic meeting the president said strengthened ties between the two nations, but which did not produce a major agreement on trade or a commitment from China to help end the war with Iran.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
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The country’s residency pathways and growing digital nomad infrastructure have further strengthened its popularity among remote workers and retirees alike.—
Meggen Harris,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Meaning the data was consolidated, the workflows were defined, the systems could pass information without manual intervention, and there was a clear, measurable outcome the AI was being asked to improve.—
Dennis Woodside,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
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The court consolidated three lawsuits from left-leaning groups into one.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepped up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepped%20up. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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