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

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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 Ethiopia, South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria have been stepping up efforts to localize manufacturing of equipment for solar power, from module assembly to more advanced manufacturing, according to industry experts. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 As parts of Puerto Rico face a record-breaking drought and no running water, a South Florida company is stepping up to offer help by sending machines capable of turning air into water. — Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026 Second-year edge rusher Collin Oliver showed promise with strong plays, stepping up in Micah Parsons' absence. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 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 Officers are stepping up patrols in the area during the nighttime hours, police said. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 13 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping up
  1. intensifying
  2. deepening
  3. enhancing
  4. heightening
  5. strengthening
Verb
  • Yet research carried out by The Athletic shows the trend is rapidly intensifying.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • As protests against the dismissal of Ukraine’s young reformist defense minister spread out across its major cities, Moscow has been intensifying its rocket blitzes.
    — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensifying
Verb
  • In her new role, the company said Kanemitsu will oversee its strategic vision and day-to-day operations across Japan, focusing on accelerating customer success, deepening partner relationships and driving regional growth.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Lake Mead, the reservoir on the Arizona-Nevada border that is a crucial source of water for the American Southwest, sank to its record-lowest levels in the past week, raising concerns about deepening water supply cuts affecting millions of people.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of deepening
Verb
  • New-generation Cyber Tire technology feeds data to the onboard dynamic systems, enhancing both performance and safety.
    — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Rather, each represents a performance-enhancing technology that allowed extraordinary humans to exceed what was previously possible.
    — Ruba Borno, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of enhancing
Verb
  • Gradually, the story’s impact started to affect Eckert, with every passing day heightening the scrutiny.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Today, the moon continues its journey through its domicile, Cancer, heightening everything from our intuition to our innermost feelings — memories from the past and emotional sensitivities are no exception.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of heightening
Verb
  • Phillips takes his task of strengthening the Panthers’ pass rush seriously.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The first, the hurricane center said Wednesday morning, has an 80% likelihood of strengthening into a tropical depression or storm in the next two to seven days.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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