hot up

verb

hotted up; hotting up; hots up

intransitive verb

chiefly British : to increase in intensity, pace, or excitement
The air raids began to hot up about the beginning of February …— George Orwell

transitive verb

chiefly British : to make (something) livelier, speedier, or more intense
"Not finishing the game off caused some tense moments but three points hots things up."— Todd Williams, quoted in The Daily Telegraph (London, England)

see also hot

Examples of hot up in a Sentence

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.
Aaronson finishes top team move as Championship race hots up Leeds United FC England’s Championship is renowned as one of the best divisions anywhere: hyper-competitive, incredibly well-attended and fuelled by the knowledge that promotion equals Premier League riches. — Phil Hay, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024 As the bug business hots up, there are claims, other than going vegan, that eating insects is the only way to save the planet. — Philip Lymbery, Time, 27 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot up was in 1922

Rhymes for hot up

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Browse Nearby Words

hot up
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Cite this Entry

“Hot up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20up. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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