crank-up
noun
an act or instance of cranking up.
crank-up
American
[krangk-uhp]
/ ˈkræŋkˌʌp /
noun
crank up
British
verb
-
to increase (loudness, output, etc)
he cranked up his pace
-
to set in motion or invigorate
news editors have to crank up tired reporters
-
(intr, adverb) to inject a narcotic drug
crank up
Idioms
-
Get started, as in The theater season is cranking up with four benefit performances . This expression transfers the literal sense of crank , “operate a motor by turning a crank,” to starting any activity. [ Slang ; 1930s]
-
Stimulate or intensify one's efforts. For example, We've got to crank up enthusiasm for this new product , or Close to the election the campaign really cranked up . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]
Etymology
Origin of crank-up
First recorded in 1905–10; noun use of verb phrase crank up
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.
See Examples For:
Borthwick's selections over the campaign have been getting more adventurous, but this was a crank-up of the curveball.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2025
There are limits on how much power each company can draw from the public power grid so fast-growing industries can’t just crank up their consumption whenever they want.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
Though Americans crank up the thermostat every winter, price increases for electricity and gas utility bills were not as sharp at the same point last year.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 13, 2026
They could crank up the returns with borrowed money without having to worry that you’d want to pull out in a downturn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
All it takes is a few clicks of her remote to crank up one of the many flaming yule logs that TV offers, and voila: a maintenance-free, rustic glow is achieved.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025
Which would, of course, crank up his mother.
From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson
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.
