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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

And that allowed another hero to shrug off the pain of his own wounds and step up big.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

The announcement marks a significant step up in D-Wave’s yearslong relationship with the NSF.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

This score was worth as many given the step up in opposition – West Indies knocked England out of the last T20 World Cup, remember – and the state of the pitch.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Instead of continuing to craft lazy and reactionary half-measures, policymakers must step up and deliver the protections the public wants and needs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

The effort to step up cholera vaccinations has been steady but inadequate.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

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