Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Italian lenders have stepped up dealmaking activity in recent years, placing the country at the center of attempts to consolidate Europe’s banking industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Liverpool have stepped up their interest in Paris St-Germain's Bradley Barcola and are preparing an opening bid.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“The vast majority of California’s cities and counties have stepped up to achieve housing element compliance,” Housing and Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Brazilian authorities meanwhile have stepped up efforts to combat the crossings, but policing the remote frontier is extremely difficult, with smugglers using unofficial river crossings and jungle trails to evade authorities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The room in which I found myself was so foreign that I might have stepped into another land.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
