as in intensifying
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 stepping up
Jose goes above and beyond to support others, whether by mentoring younger students, volunteering in school activities, or stepping up to help classmates in need.
—
Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Before stepping up to assistant chief, Hennie was the captain of the Central Business Section, which includes Downtown and Mount Adams.
—Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Oct. 2025
With Netflix stepping up to the third-quarter earnings plate after the market close on Tuesday, Kpop characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey are expected to be MVPs.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2025
Richardson missed the Colts’ 31-27 victory over the Cardinals, with third-string quarterback Riley Leonard stepping up to the back-up position in his absence.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
At the time, Saunders praised Kelce for stepping up during the big moment.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Thanks to agents stepping up, the truth is coming out.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Kurt's key takeaways Apple Watch is stepping up in a big way.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Doak joined from Celtic as a 16-year-old and started well for the U18s before stepping up to the U21s and also impressing.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Before stepping up to assistant chief, Hennie was the captain of the Central Business Section, which includes Downtown and Mount Adams.
—Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Oct. 2025
With Netflix stepping up to the third-quarter earnings plate after the market close on Tuesday, Kpop characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey are expected to be MVPs.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2025
Richardson missed the Colts’ 31-27 victory over the Cardinals, with third-string quarterback Riley Leonard stepping up to the back-up position in his absence.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
At the time, Saunders praised Kelce for stepping up during the big moment.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Thanks to agents stepping up, the truth is coming out.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Kurt's key takeaways Apple Watch is stepping up in a big way.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Doak joined from Celtic as a 16-year-old and started well for the U18s before stepping up to the U21s and also impressing.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping up
Verb
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Their approach places them within immediate operational range for amphibious or precision strike missions, intensifying pressure on Caracas as regional tensions climb.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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But, increasingly, events that should appall and unite America against violence instead fuel an intensifying partisanship.—
John Archibald,
New Yorker,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Suburbia offered the illusion of moral purity, deepening social segregation as highways allowed a quick access to and from the city centre.—
Fahad Zuberi,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Nvidia will help train and mentor emerging deep tech startups in India as a founding member of a $2 billion investment alliance, deepening its presence in the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Several tech players are already constructing private energy plants for their own use as part of their data center buildouts, so there is nothing radical about Democrats insisting on tying approvals for data centers to bearing the cost of enhancing the public grid.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Gemini is also enhancing Lens in Maps.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Sticky candies, on the other hand—like Twizzlers and Starbursts—stay on the teeth longer, heightening the risk of cavities.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
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Also, by overweighting the same securities through passive vehicles, investors’ holdings look like a sea of sameness, heightening systematic risk and limiting diversification.—
Mike Terwilliger,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Sherman Phoenix board of directors has committed to strengthening leadership and accountability.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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The Office of Special Education is tasked with supporting and monitoring state compliance and strengthening special education services covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).—
K. Ward Cummings,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stepping up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping%20up. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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