heat up
phrasal verb
heated up; heating up; heats up
1
: to become warm or hot
The morning started out cold but it heated up quickly.
2
: to become more active, intense, or angry
Their conversation started to heat up.
Competition between the two companies is heating up.
3
heat (something) up
or heat up (something)
: to cause (something) to become warm or hot
Could you heat up the vegetables, please?
Examples of heat up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the late 1940s, Arctic temperatures were warming and the Cold War was heating up.
—
Paul Bierman, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Obviously, that did not happen, so the tariffs will be reinstated at that higher mark on April 1, leading to Trump’s threat to heat up the simmering trade war.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2025
Inflation heated up to 3% last month for the first time since June.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
The good news is, Spanx’s sale section is currently bursting with pieces practically made for long-haul flights and busy travel days, so now is the best time to fill any gaps in your wardrobe before the weather heats up.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heat up
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Paul Bierman, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Obviously, that did not happen, so the tariffs will be reinstated at that higher mark on April 1, leading to Trump’s threat to heat up the simmering trade war.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2025
Inflation heated up to 3% last month for the first time since June.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
The good news is, Spanx’s sale section is currently bursting with pieces practically made for long-haul flights and busy travel days, so now is the best time to fill any gaps in your wardrobe before the weather heats up.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heat up
Cite this Entry
“Heat up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20up. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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