shoot up

verb

shot up; shooting up; shoots up

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.
This image from webcam footage provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows lava fountains shooting up high in the latest episode of an ongoing eruption of Kilauea volcano inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Thursday, March 20, 2025. — CBS News, 21 Mar. 2025 At Maxwell Park wine bar in Shaw, owner Brent Kroll isn't just worried about one of his popular French reds shooting up from $15 to $40 a glass. — Anna Spiegel, Axios, 19 Mar. 2025 Over the past few months, condo listings have shot up in the region as owners fear being unable to meet rising fees, flooding the market with inventory that is struggling to find interested buyers. — Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025 That number shot up to 22 in 2023, with five at or above $5 million. — Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 17 Mar. 2025 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 28 Mar. 2025.

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