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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

There's plenty of scope for Indian farmers to step-up production.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

The fundraising would mark a step-up from DeepSeek’s previous valuation in June, when investors including Tencent valued the startup at more than $50 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported previously.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Warner said the recent quarter included a $1.1 billion worth of pre-tax acquisition-related amortization of intangibles, content fair value step-up, and restructuring expenses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

EVs, meanwhile, usually come with a steeper step-up in price.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

These generators will be wound to produce an electric pressure of 12,000 volts, raised by means of step-up transformers to 22,000, 40,000, and 60,000 volts, according to the distance of transmission.

From Beacon Lights of History, Volume 14 The New Era; A Supplementary Volume, by Recent Writers, as Set Forth in the Preface and Table of Contents by John Lord

The offspring of one of the world's rarest trees has been given a new home in south-west Scotland as conservationists step up efforts to save the species from extinction.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

It remains to be seen if Beijing will step up stimulus to shore up domestic growth in the near term, with policymakers instead focusing on executing existing policies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

He goes on many photo shoots with me, but does not bother to learn how to use the equipment or step up in organizing preproduction.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

If not, I’ve got a lot of confidence in the other guys that will be ready to step up if that’s the case.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

With her next step up, Abby was high enough to see over the redwood’s roots.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

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

One section of circuits is often modeled after CrossFit, with exercises such as step-ups, medicine-ball tosses and squats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2016

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

Raul Ibanez pauses from one-legged step-ups on to a raised exercise platform, glances around his home gymnasium and picks up a plastic yellow stick.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2014

Related Words

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