up
to a higher place
moving or being higher than before
verb + up
- She looked up at the tall building.
- Please lift the box up onto the shelf.
- The balloon floated up into the sky.
- He looked up.
- Put your hand up.
- The sun came up.
along or toward the top
toward the top or farther end of a road, hill, stairs, river, etc.
up + noun: up the stairs, up the road, up the river
- We walked up the hill to the old church.
- Her office is just up the road.
- They paddled up the river for two hours.
- She ran up the stairs.
- The shop is up the street.
- Drive up this road.
higher in amount
becoming higher or more
go up; turn/put/push up; be up by an amount
- Prices have gone up again this year.
- Can you turn the volume up a little?
- Sales were up 12 percent in May.
- The price went up.
- Turn the heat up.
- My score went up.
awake or out of bed
awake or already out of bed
be up; stay up; up early/late
- I was up before six this morning.
- The baby is still up.
- He stayed up late to finish the report.
- Are you up yet?
- We were up early.
- Don't stay up too late.
completely or finished
with some verbs, meaning completely or until finished
verb + up
- Drink up your juice before we leave.
- We used up all the paper.
- She cleaned up the kitchen after dinner.
- Eat up your soup.
- We used up the milk.
- Clean up your room.
ready or working
ready to use, working, or put in position
be up; be back up
- The website is back up after the outage.
- The new schedule is up on the noticeboard.
- Once the tent is up, we can make dinner.
- The Wi-Fi is up again.
- The poster is up.
- Is the website up?
increase or raise
to make something higher or larger
up something
- The company upped its offer after the first bid was rejected.
- Several stores have upped their prices.
- She upped her training before the race.
- They upped the price.
- We need to up our effort.
- The team upped the pace.
- Base: up
- Plural: ups
come up with
1Think of an idea or plan
To think of and suggest an idea, plan, or solution.
- She came up with a great proposal.
- Can you come up with a better answer?
come up with
2produce an idea or solution
To find or create an idea, answer, plan, or needed thing.
- Can anyone come up with a better title?
- They came up with a plan to reduce costs.
- We still need to come up with the money for the deposit.
come up with
7think of an idea
To find or create an idea or answer.
- We need to come up with a better plan.
- She came up with a clever solution to the problem.
- Can you come up with three examples by tomorrow?
end up
8finally be or do
To finally do something or be somewhere, often by accident or after changes.
- We got lost and ended up at the wrong station.
- I planned to study medicine, but I ended up becoming a teacher.
- If you spend too much now, you’ll end up with no money left.
get up
1rise from bed or sitting/lying position
To stand after sitting or lying, especially in the morning after sleeping.
- I usually get up at 7 a.m. on weekdays.
- She got up from her chair to greet him.
get up
2rise from bed or seat
To get out of bed, or to stand up.
- What time do you get up on weekdays?
- He got up from the table and answered the door.
- I was so tired that I didn’t get up until noon.
give up
1to stop trying or quit doing something
To stop trying to do something because it is too hard or you cannot succeed.
- After several failed attempts, she decided to give up.
- Don't give up on your dreams.
give up
3quit or stop trying
To stop because something is too difficult, or to quit a habit or activity.
- Don’t give up—you’re almost finished.
- She gave up sugar for a month.
- He gave up on the puzzle after an hour.
look up
5search for information
To try to find information by checking a dictionary, website, or other source.
- I didn’t know the word, so I looked it up.
- You can look up the train times online.
- She looked up his number in her contacts.
pick up
1Lift from a surface by hand
To take something into your hand from a table, floor, etc.
- Can you pick up that pen for me?
- She picked up the baby and smiled.
pick up
4collect from a place
To go somewhere and get someone or something.
- Can you pick me up from the station?
- I need to pick up my prescription after work.
- She picked the kids up from school.
set up
1arrange or prepare something
To make something ready to use or start working.
- They set up the tent before dark.
- They set up the chairs before the meeting started.
- I need to set up my new phone before I can use it.
- We need to set up the new computer today.
set up
6arrange or prepare
To make something ready, such as a meeting, account, device, or business.
- We need to set up a meeting for next week.
- Can you help me set up my new phone?
- They set up a small company together.
wake up
1Stop sleeping and become conscious
To stop sleeping and open your eyes.
- I usually wake up early on weekdays.
- Wake up! You're going to be late for school.
wake up
1stop sleeping
To stop being asleep, or to make another person stop sleeping.
- I usually wake up before my alarm goes off.
- Please wake me up at six tomorrow.
- The baby woke up during the night.