ramp-up

Or ramp up

[ramp-uhp]

noun

1. an increase in amount, intensity, extent, etc., especially a steady increase; growth or buildup (often used attributively).

   Feeding the world by 2050 will necessitate a massive global ramp-up of industrial-scale agriculture.

   An oil field’s life cycle consists of a ramp-up period, a production plateau, and a period of decline.

2. the gradual process of learning or mastering something; learning curve (often used attributively).

   Training for new hires should focus on shortening the ramp-up to proficiency.

   Even if customers switch platforms, they should still be able to use the application with little or no ramp-up time.

verb phrase

1. to increase in amount, intensity, extent, etc., especially steadily; build.

   You can ramp up your studying in the weeks before taking the SAT.

   Immunity takes time to ramp up if the body has never seen the pathogen before.

2. to progressively learn or become familiar with something.

   The two-year program allows for time to ramp up, develop skills, and apply them in real-world scenarios.

ramp up

verb

1. to increase or cause to increase

2. (intr) to increase the effort involved in a process

Word History and Origins

Origin of ramp-up¹

First recorded in 1980–85; noun use of verb phrase ramp up

Example Sentences

Anglo American said it is making progress toward a structured restart of operations at the mine and plans a ramp-up later this year.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The base model iPhone 17 has been a big winner, especially in China, while the higher-end iPhone 17 Pro Max is seeing the strongest ramp-up in demand in the U.S., the research firm said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While the initial ramp-up may weigh on margins, Citi expects yield and efficiency gains to keep gross margin steady.

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Higher oil prices could also be a threat to gold, but oil has been under pressure of late, and a glut of gold is unlikely as suppliers haven’t had much cash in recent years to fund a quick ramp-up in production, Gave writes.

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A gradual ramp-up in supplies from the Saudi-led OPEC, coupled with continued record-breaking production from American drillers, helped drag benchmark U.S. futures to $58.27 a barrel Wednesday, their cheapest closing price since May.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When To Use

What does ramp up mean?

To ramp up is to increase or to cause to increase, either in speed, effort, or a similar attribute, as in You’d better ramp up your studying if you want to pass the final exam.When you say something is ramping up, you’re implying that it is just getting started or that there is much more of it left. It often describes level, amount, or frequency, especially an increase that is large or dramatic.Example: Production of the new console is just ramping up this month.