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• step-up
  step-up

  adjective

  effecting an increase.
• step up
  step up

  verb

  (tr) to increase or raise by stages; accelerate

step-up

American  

[step-uhp] / ˈstɛpˌʌp /

Or stepup

adjective

1. effecting an increase.

2. Electricity. serving to increase voltage.

   a step-up transformer.

3. (of a lease) allowing for gradual rent increases to the highest amount permissible.

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noun

step-ups plural

1. an increase or rise in the rate or quantity of something.

step up British  

verb

1. (tr) to increase or raise by stages; accelerate

2. (intr) to make progress or effect an advancement; be promoted

3. 1. baseball to move into batting position

   2. to come forward and take responsibility for something

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adjective

1. (of a transformer) increasing a low voltage applied to the primary winding to a higher voltage on the secondary winding Compare step down

2. informal involving a rise by stages

noun

1. informal an increment in quantity, size, etc

step up Idioms  

1. Increase, especially in stages, as in We've got to step up production . [Early 1900s] Also see step down , def. 2.

2. Come forward, as in Step up to the podium, folks, and I'll show you how it works . [Mid-1600s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• step-ups
  plural

Etymology

Origin of step-up

First recorded in 1890–95; adj., noun use of verb phrase step up

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

step-up step up step-ups

Fifth Third Bancorp recorded a step-up in revenue and profit for the second quarter as the integration of its recent Comerica acquisition translated to major gains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

In most inheritances, however, step-up in basis is actually the default, not the exception.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

Assets generally receive a step-up in basis if they are included in your taxable estate at your death.

From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026

When heirs inherit assets in an irrevocable trust, they don’t get the benefit of a step-up in cost basis that they get on assets inherited outside the trust.

From Barron's ● May 16, 2026

Divested of nearly all technical phrases, an induction coil may be briefly described as a step-up transformer of small capacity.

From The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1 700 Things for Boys to Do by Popular Mechanics Co.

If we want to maintain our leadership tomorrow, we in Europe need to wake up and step up our efforts.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

"It is time for Uefa to step up and walk away from Fifa, and start working with other confederations to build a clean, transparent governing body that puts fans first."

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

He’s hoping that state officials will actually step in and step up soon, because despite his determination, he’s not sure how much longer he can fund the project on his own.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

It’s a step up from the previous Starship test, which included deploying 20 Starlink simulators and two modified satellites.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

And then we step up and enter the hospital.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

“We expect significant step-ups in paid subscription adoption given increasingly robust tools behind a pay wall.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

Bryant said there are hundreds of exercises you can do on a playground, from step-ups to tricep dips.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2024

The signs point to several short-term factors coming together all at once — trade logjams, a surge in post-pandemic demand for goods, limited step-ups in oil production, labor demands for a living wage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2021

To increase the intensity, he suggests performing lunges or step-ups with weights or a backpack.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 26, 2021

Clean and snatch was out of the question because of my back and squats because of my knee, so I got the pleasure of doing step-ups.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 26, 2014

Related Words

• boost
• escalate
• hasten
• improve
• increase
• intensify
• quicken
• raise
• speed