as in to intensify
to make markedly greater in measure or degree
candidates stepping up their campaigns as election day draws near stepped up the pace to catch up with the others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in increase
something added (as by growth)
there's been a step-up in productivity since regular breaks were offered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of step up
Thom Harris, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Amid growing calls for transparency and climate responsibility, a few under-the-radar brands are stepping up with substance, not slogans and these were made in a random summer discovery.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
James Horncastle, New York Times, 8 June 2025
As with the step-up Sky Glass TVs, the three new Air models can all be bought via monthly instalments, rather than requiring you to find all the money to buy them up front.
—John Archer, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for step up
Verb
If his first outings for the national team are anything to go by, then Mora shouldn’t have too many problems making the step up.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Amid growing calls for transparency and climate responsibility, a few under-the-radar brands are stepping up with substance, not slogans and these were made in a random summer discovery.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Noun
Inter brought back Cristian Chivu, who only recently made the step-up into senior-level coaching.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 8 June 2025
As with the step-up Sky Glass TVs, the three new Air models can all be bought via monthly instalments, rather than requiring you to find all the money to buy them up front.
—John Archer, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for step up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step up
Verb
-
Recent layoff announcements have only intensified these concerns.—
C200,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
But as the strikes intensified, targeting infrastructure and killing ordinary citizens, many Iranians began to conclude that the attacks were not merely a war against the regime but a war against the nation itself.—
MOHAMMAD AYATOLLAHI TABAAR,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
In Porter County, 1,420 students used vouchers, a 302-student increase from the previous year.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
The likelihood of lightning increases as a thunderstorm gets closer and reaches its highest point when the storm is directly overhead.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Although generative AI fuels the potential for automation to eliminate jobs, AI can also enhance technical, creative, legal and business roles, the report said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2025
-
But with a smart approach, mirrors can truly enhance a space.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
Dayton, a small community near Chattanooga, had lost a factory to bankruptcy and needed the boost.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
-
The state’s total prison population is up about 7% since the compensation boost took effect.—
Mario Koran,
jsonline.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
His remarks signal that military co-operation between Moscow and Pyongyang is likely to deepen.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
-
This kind of downtime is rare for both of them, and it’s really allowed their bond to deepen.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
These gains are achieved through standardized, scalable and reusable systems as well as automated workflows.—
Steve Millidge,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Such gains might feel meager after a fight so long and messy, but around the same time, the other Big Five publishers will also increase their threshold for entry-level salaries.—
Maris Kreizman
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
These worries were heightened when, at the end of June, Richard Goodman, one of the senior civil servants in the DfT, wrote to Collier to reinforce Alexander's message.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
9 July 2025
-
The tension between the state and Trump heightened at the end of May, before the state's track and field championship, which saw a trans athlete take first place in two girls' events.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
In addition to the bedrooms, the home features a small but charming kitchen with modern cabinets and spacious countertops, as well as a dining area that accommodates a small table.—
Katrina Cossey,
Parents,
8 July 2025
-
In addition to the time behind bars, Kendall ordered the $2 million fine, finding that financial penalties for politicians who engage in corruption should be far higher and noting the money will go to help victims of crime in which the defendants are not as wealthy as Burke.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Step up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step%20up. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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