as in enhances
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 steps up
So if Worthy is out multiple weeks, who steps up now?
—
Jesse Newell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Who steps up in ensuing summers residents may be itching to know.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Tensions have risen sharply in recent years as China flies near-daily military sorties across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and steps up major military drills to punish Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Vingroup—the flagship company of billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, Vietnam’s richest person—plans to invest around 374 trillion dong ($14 billion) to develop a port and logistics hub outside of Hanoi as the nation’s largest conglomerate steps up expansion plans.
—Yessar Rosendar, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Jesse Newell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Who steps up in ensuing summers residents may be itching to know.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Tensions have risen sharply in recent years as China flies near-daily military sorties across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and steps up major military drills to punish Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Vingroup—the flagship company of billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, Vietnam’s richest person—plans to invest around 374 trillion dong ($14 billion) to develop a port and logistics hub outside of Hanoi as the nation’s largest conglomerate steps up expansion plans.
—Yessar Rosendar, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steps up
Verb
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Jen Serena’s expertise in photography enhances their work, bringing a refined sense of detail and composition to their films.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
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Ensuring your trees are located in a spot that receives plenty of bright light throughout the day enhances the growth of your trees and encourages them to produce a good fruit set.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cal picks her up in a muddy old 4×4, then takes her on a bumpy ride through the bush during which the tension quickly heightens between them.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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When the creature eventually gets munched on by a bigger fish, the concentration of DDT in the new predator's bloodstream only heightens.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump has been unable to follow through on his promises to apply economic sanctions as Putin intensifies his attacks on civilians in Ukraine, Boyechko added.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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The decision to strip away all context intensifies its emotional weight, transforming silence into an overwhelming presence.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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America’s retreat from WHO deepens the damage by weakening global systems for monitoring outbreaks, reviewing evidence and maintaining databases such as the Global Burden of Disease.—
Stan Chu Ilo,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, Sylvia’s relationship with Carabinieri captain Giovanni Riva deepens, but the finalization of Riva’s divorce and his desire to set down roots in Umbria threatens Sylvia’s sense of independence.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This strengthens the case that a massive, hidden planet orbiting inside the disk has been shaping its structure since the system’s youth.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
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The bill strengthens protections against antisemitism and all forms of discrimination in K-12 schools by setting clear classroom standards, increasing accountability for local school agencies and establishing teacher and administrator training.—
Daniel Klein,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Steps up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steps%20up. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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