shoot up

verb

shot up; shooting up; shoots up
Synonyms of shoot upnext

transitive verb

1
: to shoot or shoot at especially recklessly
cowboys shooting up the town
2
: to inject (a narcotic drug) into a vein

intransitive verb

: to inject a narcotic into a vein
shoot-up
ˈshüt-ˌəp How to pronounce shoot up (audio)
noun

Examples of shoot up in a Sentence

gas prices shot up seemingly overnight
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
There's been growing adoption of Chinese AI models among Western companies as capability has shot up. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026 At least there are several sequences of macabre murder-comedy with blood geysers shooting up to the sky and a tracking shot through a killing spree that’s a riot. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Oil prices have shot up with each round of clashes, and Americans who were already frustrated about the cost of food, housing and other items now pay significantly more for gasoline. — Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Fortune, 31 July 2026 Petal shot up the iTunes rankings globally at the beginning of the new tracking period. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shoot up

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoot up was in 1890

Rhymes for shoot up

See All Rhymes for shoot up

Browse Nearby Words

shoot to kill
shoot up
shop
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shoot up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoot%20up. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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