stepped-up
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of stepped-up
First recorded in 1900–05
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The stepped-up security at Scientology buildings appeared to dissuade three teens who approached the building while a Times reporter observed a Hollywood location on Sunday afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
AT&T’s free cash flow was $2.5 billion in the first quarter, down from $3.1 billion a year before, reflecting the company’s stepped-up investments.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
Guterres called for stepped-up diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution and said his personal envoy, Jean Arnault, was travelling to the region to support them.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
The stepped-up operation is part of a multistage Pentagon plan to reduce the danger from Iranian armed boats, mines and cruise missiles, which have halted ship traffic through the waterway since early March.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Prospects for 2001 are strengthened by government millennium projects for a new convention center, additional hotels, an amusement park, a new airport, and stepped-up roadbuilding and factory construction plans.
From The 2001 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
