How to Use step up in a Sentence

step up

1 of 2 verb
Definition of step upnext
Synonyms for step upnext
  • Guys have to step up to the challenge and be able to do that.
    — Irie Harris, cleveland, 14 Sep. 2023
  • The pace stepped up, and Kennedy’s angled header in the 57th was too high and wide of the post.
    — John Pye, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
  • The department has stepped up such reviews in the wake of the scandal.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023
  • And countries around the world are stepping up to meet the demand.
    — Nicole F. Roberts, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
  • Auburn needed someone to step up, and Green answered the call.
    — Nubyjas Wilborn | , al, 18 Mar. 2023
  • Prince William is stepping up his efforts to help the unhoused.
    — Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024
  • But logic dictates that someone has to step up and fill the shoes of the missing Queen Bee.
    — EW.com, 9 May 2024
  • But the United States is not the only country stepping up.
    — Leslie Vinjamuri, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2023
  • The hope is that Campbell hasn’t lost a step, and that someone else on the defensive line steps up.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 16 June 2024
  • At the end of the day in Texas basketball, big time players step up in big time moments.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024
  • The event was held at Gilman Street Brewery, one of the businesses that stepped up to help Johnson.
    — Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2024
  • For that to happen, other stars need to step up to Ms. Clark’s level.
    — Santul Nerkar, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
  • The United Auto Workers union has stepped up the pace on its march south.
    — Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
  • Gavin Stone has stepped up in a big way and Landon Knack has proven to be more than capable in a fill-in role.
    — Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 1 July 2024
  • Edwards is explosive and the type of gamer who steps up to meet the biggest moments.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2024
  • With the Rue de la Paix opening, the label also stepped up its efforts in bridal.
    — Lily Templeton, WWD, 26 July 2024
  • This time, however, Richie is left to run point and Sydney steps up as head chef.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2023
  • Then in the second half, Caserio stepped up, scoring 15 points to finish with 16.
    — The Arizona Republic, 10 Jan. 2024
  • How that other film stepped up… A truly egregious low point for the Oscars.
    — Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2023
  • The team grew a lot this season, and the athletes stepped up and tried new events, leading to more events being covered.
    — Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2024
  • So other guys are going to have to be ready to step up and other guys are pushing them too.
    — Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 3 Aug. 2024
  • With the Hornets needing a player to step up each night, McCoy has taken the lead.
    — Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Mar. 2023
  • The Border Guard is stepping up patrolling along the length of its 833-mile frontier with Russia.
    — Reuters, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2023
  • The Cougars will need others to step up to see this through to a successful conclusion.
    — Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
  • Ukraine has also stepped up exports by train, truck and river barge.
    — Joe Rennison, New York Times, 19 July 2023
  • The reality is if the Nuggets are going to dare other players to beat them, those guys have to step up and do the job.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 15 May 2024
  • Then step up to the front of the room and start to speak, but do so silently, without using your voice, moving only your lips.
    — Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023
  • Gospel artist Kirk Franklin also stepped up from the audience to join Smith onstage.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 30 June 2024
  • In the lead-up to the Republican convention, Pritzker had stepped up his attacks on Trump.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2024
  • Wilmington, North Carolina, passed a similar ordinance this year, and Roanoke, Virginia, has stepped up enforcement of a law that has been on the books since last year.
    — Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2024
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step-up

2 of 2 noun
  • In the box, there are nine step-up rings that can attach to the thread on the lens of a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
    — Tom Warren, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2023
  • At just two feet long, this ramp is best for small inclines, curbs, and step-up entrances.
    — Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 25 Apr. 2023
  • Even with those caveats though, that’s a remarkable step-up for a heady, epic-length follow-up.
    — J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024
  • The incline has a lesser top range of 12%, the running belt is 2 inches narrower and the step-up height is lower.
    — Heather Mayer Irvine, wsj.com, 17 Oct. 2023
  • But in the presence of [section] 1014 and the step-up in basis, that's not necessarily true.
    — Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
  • But with a basis step-up, the value is reset to its current level and the heirs don’t suddenly have a big tax bill to meet.
    — Erik Sherman, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2023
  • The step-up in input prices comes on the heels of data last week that showed the Federal Reserve’s key inflation gauges rose at a brisk pace in March.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 2 May 2023
  • However, with the league seeking a major step-up in payments, there is no assurance of a deal.
    — Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2024
  • Hip thrusts, dumbbell step-ups, and Romanian deadlifts are some of her faves.
    — Women's Health, 5 July 2023
  • The aluminum handle is oven-safe which is a step-up from the brand’s first iteration that had a wooden handle and could only be used on a stove top.
    — Danny Perez, Popular Mechanics, 8 May 2023
  • The second-generation, step-up models, the AirPods Pro, are a great-sounding pair.
    — Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 31 Oct. 2023
  • This step-up in basis will generally minimize the amount of taxes owed on a subsequent sale of the home.
    — Christopher A. Combs, The Arizona Republic, 25 July 2023
  • View Photos In the Highlander, the step-up powertrain offering (at a cost of $1400 in most trim levels) is a four-cylinder hybrid.
    — Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 24 Mar. 2023
  • As of the date of death, the estate received a step-up in basis to the total face value even if the bond was purchased at a discount—the gain was tax-free and could be used to pay estate taxes.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
  • The suspension is also exceptionally judged, while the new eight-speed, twin-clutch gearbox is a huge step-up.
    — Jeremy White, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2023
  • Good exercises for this would be squats or step-ups using a full-size workout stepper set at four to six inches.
    — Catherine Garcia, The Week, 27 Aug. 2023
  • Certain non-retirement assets owned by your spouse will also be eligible for a step-up in basis to the fair market value at the date of death.
    — Kristin McKenna, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
  • That massive step-up in box office draw can be attributed to spectacular buzz.
    — J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 June 2023
  • Analysts expect the Fed to announce another 0.25-percentage-point step-up this week.
    — Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 2 May 2023
  • In community property states such as California, both halves of the property may get that step-up.
    — Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024
  • But the step-up from a statewide campaign, even one as successful as Mr. DeSantis’s nearly 20-percentage-point romp, to a presidential campaign is not easy.
    — Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 24 May 2023
  • Lightweight drills are basically a step-up from a power screwdriver.
    — Lynn Redmile and Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2023
  • Without that step-up, your heirs could owe capital gains taxes on the appreciation that occurred during your lifetime.
    — Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2023
  • Answer: Retirement accounts don’t get the favorable step-up in tax basis that other assets typically get when someone dies.
    — Liz Weston, oregonlive, 23 July 2023
  • The company that makes semaglutide, Novo Nordisk, has recommendations for how patients should take the drug safely, including utilizing a step-up approach—starting with a smaller dose and working their way up.
    — Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Although taxes should never be the sole consideration for property transfers, the favorable step-up in basis may be a powerful incentive to hold off.
    — Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024
  • The insurer—which the broker says offers one of the best dividend prospects for income investors—is expected to see a step-up in capital generation from strong annuity volumes, potentially leading to an increase in returns.
    — WSJ, 8 Jan. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'step up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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