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• ramp-up
  ramp-up

  noun

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

  verb

  to increase or cause to increase

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

See Examples For:

ramp-up ramp up

There’s a deliberate ramp-up to the intensity of training camp, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

“Forrestania will hold pro-forma cash of A$132 million and a proposed A$100 million debt facility to sufficiently fund the ramp-up period across both hubs,” analyst Todd Lewis says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is expected to benefit from higher volumes, which could be partially offset by higher input costs as well as ramp-up costs of a global parts center.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Geopolitical shifts have encouraged Western data-center operators to diversify away from Middle East to Southeast Asia, he notes. 2H’s utilities demand could remain strong, driven by continued ramp-up in data-center deployments, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Deutsche Bahn has launched a modernisation drive, and is betting on a massive ramp-up in public spending on infrastructure to turn around its fortunes.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Ospina is a onetime history teacher turned librarian, who is on a mission to increase library use and ramp up reading — and has earned several district awards for getting students hooked on books.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

"Is he simply going to ramp up the name of Liverpool in order to make as much money as possible?"

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

He said some Meta employees are already using it internally and that he expects internal usage to ramp up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

This is after West African Resources banked A$830 million during the year, as a result of the steady ramp up of its Kiaka mine in Burkina Faso.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

You don’t want to assume, but your own cramps ramp up.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith