STEP UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does step up mean? 

• STEP UP (verb)
  The verb STEP UP has 3 senses:

1. increase in extent or intensity

2. speed up

3. make oneself visible; take action

  Familiarity information: STEP UP used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STEP UP (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Increase in extent or intensity

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

escalate; intensify; step up

Context example:

The Allies escalated the bombing

Hypernyms (to "step up" is one way to...):

increase (make bigger or more)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "step up"):

redouble (double in magnitude, extent, or intensity)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

step-up (the act of increasing something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Speed up

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

rev up; step up

Context example:

let's rev up production

Hypernyms (to "step up" is one way to...):

increase (make bigger or more)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make oneself visible; take action

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

come forward; come out; come to the fore; step forward; step to the fore; step up

Context example:

Young people should step to the fore and help their peers

Hypernyms (to "step up" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

You may now step up to help a parent or other elderly family member who needs your assistance.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

“Well, step up here, Dick, and let me see your tongue. No, I should be surprised if he did! The man's tongue is fit to frighten the French. Another fever.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

I did as he ordered, and when the lawyer arrived I was asked to step up to the room.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Ask Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope if she will be kind enough to step up,” said he.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Sir Nigel alone, unconscious to all appearance of the universal panic, walked with unfaltering step up the centre of the road, a silken handkerchief in one hand and his gold comfit-box in the other.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Saturn’s move into Aquarius shows you are ready to step up and take on completely new responsibilities.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Saturn and Pluto will oppose the moon, giving a strong indication that the job offer, should you take it, would represent a step up but will temporarily require full concentration to the exclusion of almost everything else.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Whenever you change jobs with an accent on the tenth house, as you have this month, I can assure you that you would be taking an impressive step up, not making a lateral move to a job similar to the title and responsibilities to the one you had before.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)