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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of steps up
Samuel Boivin | Nurphoto | Getty Images Alibaba on Tuesday announced a new chip designed for agentic capabilities as the Chinese tech giant steps up its semiconductor efforts to fuel its AI push.
—
Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Frank and Leaf planted a tree out front and treated the old ground-floor space, just a few steps up, as a studio.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
If a mostly inexperienced pitching staff steps up, the Trojans will be extremely dangerous by the time the playoffs roll around.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
Make this chowder ahead of time by completing the first two steps up to three days in advance.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
The question is, which Democrat steps up next?
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
Sometimes the surprise player steps up.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
As sparks fly between Zoe and Jace, a last-minute cancellation threatens the fun, but Agnes steps up.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
His right-hand man Erik Mortensen steps up to finish the fall 1982 collection and lead the couture house.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Frank and Leaf planted a tree out front and treated the old ground-floor space, just a few steps up, as a studio.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
If a mostly inexperienced pitching staff steps up, the Trojans will be extremely dangerous by the time the playoffs roll around.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
Make this chowder ahead of time by completing the first two steps up to three days in advance.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
The question is, which Democrat steps up next?
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
Sometimes the surprise player steps up.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
As sparks fly between Zoe and Jace, a last-minute cancellation threatens the fun, but Agnes steps up.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
His right-hand man Erik Mortensen steps up to finish the fall 1982 collection and lead the couture house.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steps up
Verb
-
Jovy views emerging technology not as a replacement for creativity but as a tool that enhances it.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The transformation in Broward County proves that embracing innovation enhances safety.—
Ian Cohen,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes these shifts are small, noticeable only to the character experiencing them, as when an impending hurricane heightens the narrator’s receptivity to the minor mysteries of humble objects.—
Hannah Gold,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
And casting Sarah Michelle in that part heightens all of that.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Researchers have long recognized that climate change intensifies heat waves.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Chronic low back or sciatic pain that intensifies monthly may be treated as a musculoskeletal problem.—
Sarah Berg,
STAT,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile the airport crisis deepens.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Those words — simple, direct, enduring — carry the unmistakable weight of a lesson passed down from parent to child, one that only deepens in meaning with loss.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Security strengthens as finance-conscious Venus conjoins fertile Chiron in your 2nd House of Logistics, bolstering your capacity to be practical without losing that characteristic Pisces whimsy.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Tschacher and colleagues showed in 2024 that music can align listeners’ physiological responses and attention patterns—and that even when people aren’t feeling exactly the same emotion, the synchronicity of their reactions alone strengthens the sense of shared experience.—
Yook JiHun,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steps up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steps%20up. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
