run up

verb

1. to amass or accumulate; incur

   to run up debts

2. to make by sewing together quickly

   to run up a dress

3. to hoist

   to run up a flag

noun

1. an approach run by an athlete for a long jump, pole vault, etc

2. a preliminary or preparatory period

   the run-up to the election

Idioms and Phrases

Make or become greater or larger, as in That offer will run up the price of the stock . [Late 1500s]

Accumulate, as in She ran up huge bills at the florist . [First half of 1700s]

Sew rapidly, as in I can run up some new curtains for the kitchen . [Mid-1800s]

Raise a flag, as in Let's run up the flag in time for the holiday . This usage, originating in the navy about 1900, gave rise to the slangy phrase, Let's run it up the flagpole and see if anybody salutes , meaning, “Let's try this out.” The latter originated about 1960 as advertising jargon.

Example Sentences

As the shutdown drags on, critical assistance programs for some of America’s most vulnerable—including children, people with disabilities and senior citizens—are running up against deadlines and depleting funds.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The battery-powered robots run up to 23 hours daily, cutting grass continuously in programmed patterns and returning to individual charging docks when needed.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Brazil has also continued to grant new oil and gas licences in the run up to COP30.

Read more on BBC

It was 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 16, and the Israeli soldiers — two dozen of them, family members said — ran up and hammered at the door.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“A modest adjustment in prices after such a big run up is not having much impact on homeowners,” she said..

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• assemble 
• construct 
• create 
• found 
• hoist 
• initiate 
• mount 
• organize 
• put up 
• raise 
• set up 
• stand