stepping up

verb

present participle of step up
as in intensifying
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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stepping up Cities across the Southwest are stepping up conservation efforts amid the growing crisis facing a key Colorado River reservoir straddling the Utah-Arizona border. — Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 26 July 2026 Maresca arrives at a time when City’s pre-season preparations are stepping up, and with Madrid trying to sign Rodri. — Sam Lee, New York Times, 25 July 2026 Already, countries are stepping up inspections for test-takers. — John Liu, CNN Money, 27 June 2026 Sunway has been stepping up investments in Singapore in recent years. — Yessar Rosendar, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 Officers are stepping up patrols in the area during the nighttime hours, police said. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 13 June 2026 Some suggested military escorts for fuel trucks while others urged stepping up strikes on Ukrainian bridges, fuel storage sites and other infrastructure. — ABC News, 11 June 2026 The gunman, who had the hood of his sweatshirt cinched over his face, was caught on video stepping up and shooting Herrera in the left side of the head at point-blank range. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 29 May 2026 Reese Hogan, of Christian institution Crean Lutheran High School, went viral for stepping up to the top spot on the podium after Hernandez stepped down from it in the exact same round in 2025. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping up
  1. intensifying
  2. deepening
  3. enhancing
  4. heightening
  5. strengthening
Verb
  • Now, an intensifying war has again closed off significant access to Persian Gulf oil, reinjecting chaos into the market.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • Johnson later identified Scholten by name in subsequent posts, intensifying the controversy.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 21 July 2026
Definition of intensifying
Verb
  • The corruption allegations and deepening political crisis in Puerto Rico have caught the attention of some federal legislators, who questioned whether federal funds are being appropriately used.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026
  • Instead of closing the door on his dream, Nolan pivoted to studying English literature at University College London, a decision he has since been credited with strengthening his screenwriting and deepening his understanding of language and metaphor.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Definition of deepening
Verb
  • These policies are increasingly important for enhancing older workers’ employability as AI and technological change reshape jobs and skill requirements.
    — Runchana Pongsaparn, Fortune, 31 July 2026
  • The architecture is intended to reduce construction complexity while enhancing operational safety.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
Definition of enhancing
Verb
  • Your celestial ruler, Venus, returns to your sign, heightening everything from your confidence and visibility to your irresistible charm.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The threat expanded on the Yemeni militant group’s call Monday to close off the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi ships, heightening the risk for vessels passing through the channel.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 21 July 2026
Definition of heightening
Verb
  • Philippine officials credit the transparency strategy with garnering international support for the Philippines and strengthening its military alliances.
    — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • On the council, Raman gave the DSA some of its biggest policy wins, strengthening renter protections and passing a significant reform to the city’s rent stabilization ordinance.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
Definition of strengthening

Browse Nearby Words

stepping out
stepping up
steps
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stepping up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping%20up. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of mitigate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All