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Synonyms

rev up

Idioms  

  1. 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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The initiative aims to rev up American drone production and bring down costs by pledging to buy more from U.S. suppliers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

The "Avatar" films "connect everywhere around the world," Gross said, adding that the 20th Century movie -- like its predecessors -- would likely rev up on "outstanding word-of-mouth."

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

The Headingley win means team changes are unlikely, giving Archer an extra week to rev up for Lord's.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2025

If you have a chance to do so, you will rev up the machinery needed to build an atomic bomb as quickly as possible.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2025

“That’s true, but there’s nothing like a little competition to rev up a player’s game.”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.