rev up

Idioms and Phrases

Increase the speed or rate of, enliven, stimulate, as in Bill revved up the motor , or They looked for ways to rev up the ad campaign . The verb rev is an abbreviation for revolution , alluding to the rate of rotation of an engine. The idiom dates from about 1920 and has been used figuratively since the mid-1900s.

Example Sentences

Instead, parents—usually moms—rev up for turboparenting at whatever late hour they get off work.

From The Daily Beast

To fully feel the depth of the Russian humiliation, you would have to have witnessed the torque of its rev-up.

From The Daily Beast

I heard the amphibian rev up and take off again, and the deck tilted a trifle beneath us as we gathered way.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• advance
• expedite
• further
• hasten
• open up
• quicken
• spur
• step up
• stimulate