as in intensified
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
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Recent Examples of stepped up
When Zarate singled with two outs in the 10th to put runners on first and second, Kelnar stepped up to the plate.
—
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Both players stepped up with back-to-back buckets to stop the run.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia stepped up direct engagement with Tehran in a bid to de-escalate tensions, according to several European officials.
—Arsalan Shahla, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Ceddanne Rafaela stepped up next as the Netherlands’ last hope and fell behind quickly 0-2 in the count.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
With cramps slowing down McDonald, John Brown IV stepped up by scoring and rebounding.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Then Leighton Ozawa stepped up and buried her attempt, giving the Wildcats a 3-2 lead.
—Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026
And Pacific Ridge’s defense stepped up, holding its opponent to under 30 points for the third time this postseason.
—Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Dara Maleki, founder of The Pizza Press, stepped up last year to lead the chamber as its interim president and CEO just as the 130-year-old organization was on the cusp of shuttering.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Both players stepped up with back-to-back buckets to stop the run.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia stepped up direct engagement with Tehran in a bid to de-escalate tensions, according to several European officials.
—Arsalan Shahla, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Ceddanne Rafaela stepped up next as the Netherlands’ last hope and fell behind quickly 0-2 in the count.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
With cramps slowing down McDonald, John Brown IV stepped up by scoring and rebounding.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Then Leighton Ozawa stepped up and buried her attempt, giving the Wildcats a 3-2 lead.
—Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026
And Pacific Ridge’s defense stepped up, holding its opponent to under 30 points for the third time this postseason.
—Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Dara Maleki, founder of The Pizza Press, stepped up last year to lead the chamber as its interim president and CEO just as the 130-year-old organization was on the cusp of shuttering.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepped up
Verb
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The rhetoric intensified Friday as GOP lawmakers responded to the attacks in Michigan and Virginia by urging a halt to all immigration into the United States.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
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The mounting toll has intensified concerns over how to counter drone swarms without depleting interceptor stockpiles that cost millions of dollars each to replace.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The missile also features an A-band Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar seeker and has enhanced Terrain Contour Matching and target discrimination capabilities.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
In the shower, cornflower blue tiles are enhanced with a rounded black lacquer rim, which echoes the same detailing found elsewhere in the house.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The notion that the town cut a political deal in faraway Tallahassee to honor Trump and silence its own residents has only heightened the furor.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Concerns about the team’s safety in Iran heightened when the players didn’t sing the Iranian national anthem before their first match.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes have deepened Lebanon's humanitarian crisis, with about 800 people killed and more than 850,000 displaced.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
As mentioned previously, KU’s woes only deepened in the second half.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Treatment access has strengthened, including diversion pathways such as Drug Court.—
Maria Hernandez,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Her storytelling voice is strengthened through past ASB leadership, TED-Ed Student Talks, PBS StoryTellers, and the NBCU Academy, and by attending the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ Careers in Film Summit.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rolapp described a near future in which the current 38-event PGA Tour schedule will be consolidated into 21 to 26 Tier 1 tournaments and unspecified others will be relegated to Tier 2 tournament status.—
Brad Townsend,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
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As American journalistic institutions are consolidated and politicized by tech billionaires seeking to dominate the industry, those who consume news on the internet are increasingly left to assemble the disparate pieces on their own.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepped up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepped%20up. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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