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
As temperatures drop in Ukraine, Russia has stepped up drone attacks on power facilities supplying millions of homes across the country.
—
Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Though Egbuka stepped up, more is needed.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
A lot of guys were out, and the guys that got to play stepped up.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2025
Some women have stepped up to revive them.
—JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2025
At which point, John Glenn, moved by the statement, stepped up to Chief Zarco and firmly shook his hand.
—Kit Bernardi, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Cruz and Lombard rank alongside Wilson as MVP-like impact players, though everyone has stepped up.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
On the Chiefs’ next drive, the Jaguars defense stepped up again, forcing a punt early in the fourth quarter.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
According to sources, the studio stepped up with a 7-figure purchase price and additional million dollars in script/development fees, making this one of the biggest IP sales of the year, especially for an unpublished short story.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Though Egbuka stepped up, more is needed.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
A lot of guys were out, and the guys that got to play stepped up.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2025
Some women have stepped up to revive them.
—JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2025
At which point, John Glenn, moved by the statement, stepped up to Chief Zarco and firmly shook his hand.
—Kit Bernardi, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Cruz and Lombard rank alongside Wilson as MVP-like impact players, though everyone has stepped up.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
On the Chiefs’ next drive, the Jaguars defense stepped up again, forcing a punt early in the fourth quarter.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
According to sources, the studio stepped up with a 7-figure purchase price and additional million dollars in script/development fees, making this one of the biggest IP sales of the year, especially for an unpublished short story.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepped up
Verb
-
Negotiations between the Nuggets, Braun, and Duffy intensified over the weekend, culminating in an agreement that satisfied both sides.—
Evan Dammarell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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But the Russian leader hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.—
Chris Megerian,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The new sedan also integrates BYD’s latest Tianshen C driver-assistance suite, which adds adaptive cruise, lane-centering, and enhanced safety automation to support more comfortable long-distance driving.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
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The 8-mm manual focusing lens has a resolution of 256 × 192 pixels, which can be enhanced to simulate 512 × 384 pixels.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the weeks after, decks of cards spotlighting other CEOs and executives circulated on social media, which heightened the threat climate as did Mangione’s public reception as quasi vigilante, Kucera said.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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The lighthearted moment played against a trending audio that only heightened its comedic touch.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Bulgari deepened its cultural engagement with India by bringing the Serpenti Infinito Exhibition to the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai — its third global stop.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
18 Oct. 2025
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The production deepened Isaac’s relationship with del Toro beyond a typical director-actor collaboration.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Engaging in such activities strengthened connections between different areas of their brain.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
22 Oct. 2025
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Japan and South Korea, United States security allies in Northeast Asia, have recently strengthened their mine warfare capabilities amid China's growing naval presence.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After attorneys representing James filed a motion challenging Halligan's appointment as unlawful, Judge Walker ordered that the motion be consolidated with the already ongoing effort to disqualify her in the case against Comey.—
Pierre Thomas,
ABC News,
24 Oct. 2025
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Once the data was collected and evaluated, it was consolidated and weighted within a scoring model.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stepped up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepped%20up. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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