: a drilling rig used in offshore drilling whose drilling platform is a barge from which legs are lowered to the bottom when over the drill site and which is raised above the water and supported on the legs to conduct drilling operations
jacked up; jacking up; jacks up
1
: to move or lift (something, such as an automobile) with or as if with a jack (see jack entry 1 sense 3a)
She jacked up the car to change the tire.
He jacked up his shorts.
… steel rollers were situated at four points under the timber truss bridge, which had been jacked up above the temporary bridge.—
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering2
a
: to raise the level or amount of (something) : increase
jack up the price
Most loans still do carry a bevy of fees … all of which have been jacked up—in some cases doubled—over the past year.—Fred R. Bleakley
Fred R. BleakleyThe club jacked up cash prizes for the race to $514,000, almost double last year's purse.—Kostya Kennedy
Kostya Kennedy… the city's powerful economy has jacked up demand for dwellings.—Ralph Bivens
Ralph Bivens
b
: to increase (something) in intensity, scope, etc.
Jill [Gisvold] says she jacked up her training last fall "because I had some shake-ups in my life, and I found that running helped me deal with it."—Bob Cooper
Bob CooperThis Miami Vice rerun is a change-of-pace episode, with the comedy jacked up and the drama toned down.—TV Guide
TV Guide
c
informal
: to cause great excitement, enthusiasm, or energy in (someone)
Nothing jacks up a rabid sports fan more than visiting a modern sports bar armed with a high-tech viewing experience …—Monterey County (California) Herald
Monterey County (California) HeraldWith lead MC Will.I.Am and bandmates … bounding about the stage like aerobics instructors after a quadruple latte, the group jacked up the crowd with "Let's Get It Started" and its current single, "Don't Phunk With My Heart."—Dan DeLuca
Dan DeLuca3
a
informal
: to grab, shove, or handle (someone or something) forcefully
One day, some jerk jacked him up against a locker. "I'm in the air, feet dangling," recalls [Jim] Shea …—Anne Marie Cruz
Anne Marie Cruz
b
informal
: to cause injury to (someone or something)
Saturday I jacked up my neck and shoulder while I was warming up to play golf.—Patrick Dix
Patrick Dix
c
informal
: to beat up or hurt (someone)
A Gainesville man with a history of battery convictions has been charged with child abuse after police say he admitted to "jacking up" an 11-year-old boy, resulting in bruises still visible to officers three days later.—Sean P. McCrory
Sean P. McCrory
d
informal
: to treat or confront (someone) in a harassing, rough, or overly aggressive and typically unwarranted manner
In recent months, the service has increasingly been contacted by youths who say they were "jacked up" by police—stopped suddenly by anti-gang officers, frisked, questioned and sometimes roughed up, [David] Lynn said.—Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles TimesAnd in the course of being jacked up by the police, many claim they have been man-handled or physically mistreated.—Jeff Yang
Jeff YangExamples of jack-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024
Soon after it was built, the grab was used by the global salvage firm Ardent to clear wreckage from the Troll Solution, a jack-up offshore oil rig that collapsed in 2015.
—Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2024
Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Dealers and lenders have long engaged in deceptive and predatory practices that jack up prices for car buyers in order to line their pockets.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jack-up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Additionally, about one-third of the global jack-up fleet is approaching or has exceeded retirement age, suggesting a likely decrease in available equipment going forward.
—Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024
Soon after it was built, the grab was used by the global salvage firm Ardent to clear wreckage from the Troll Solution, a jack-up offshore oil rig that collapsed in 2015.
—Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2024
Verb
Unfair tariffs jacked up prices—give it back with $300+ billion tariff revenue.
—Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Dealers and lenders have long engaged in deceptive and predatory practices that jack up prices for car buyers in order to line their pockets.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jack-up
Cite this Entry
“Jack-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jack-up. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share