ramp-up

American  

[ramp-uhp] / ˈræmpˌʌp /

Or ramp up

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.

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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 British  

verb

1. to increase or cause to increase

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

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of ramp-up

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

Example Sentences

The analysts reckon the strong AI ramp-up will offset its muted mobile business on weak consumer demand, leaving their overall MediaTek forecasts unchanged.

From The Wall Street Journal

Exports slowed sharply, rising 1.4% in 2025 after 2.4% in 2024, as the ramp-up in U.S. tariffs on European Union goods imports hurt France’s exporters.

From The Wall Street Journal

Larger deals signed last quarter with a gradual ramp-up mean some revenue will move beyond this year, Citi says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Garvey, who has been working in Minneapolis since the ramp-up of ICE operations there, said that people can barely leave the house or navigate the city without interacting with ICE in some way, whether it’s in traffic, at work, at a shopping center or in their own neighborhoods.

From Salon

ZF had agreed with customers to "end earlier than planned several projects that were not proving as profitable as expected due to the slow ramp-up in e-mobility", it said in a statement.

From Barron's