pumping up

verb

present participle of pump up
1
as in thrilling
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings of the crowd was pumped up by the band's rocking performance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in increasing
to make greater in size, amount, or number that pop diva is trying to pump up album sales with an extended publicity tour

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pumping up When showing a complex picture with many different hues next to each other, though, pumping up the output of individual LED colors can cause the edges of those hues to tint and warp. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026 Several stock indexes, including the NASDAQ 100, also relaxed rules for how soon new issues could be included, further pumping up demand. — John Ruwitch, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026 In other words, pumping up the stock market was seen as a way to drive consumer spending. — George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Many of my fellow viewers enthusiastically embraced the role of wrestling fans and behaved as if at a WWE match, audibly pumping up the hero and booing her opponents. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026 Council Speaker Julie Menin is on the right path to pumping up Fair Fares by increasing the income threshold to participate, making enrollment automatic and even eliminating the fare entirely for some folks. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026 Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is pumping up his reelection bid at age 80 by looking jacked in workouts that his critics say are more popular than the man himself. — ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026 Taking his place in one of the Broadhurst Theatre’s box seats, DJ Griddlebone wastes no time pumping up the crowd and welcoming all and sundry Jellicles to the stage. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026 Scammers start out by buying shares of a cheap stock but then convince others to buy big, pumping up the stock's value so the scammers can then sell their shares for huge profits. — Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumping up
  1. thrilling
  2. increasing
  3. exciting
  4. expanding
  5. turning on
  6. accelerating
  7. electrifying
  8. boosting
Verb
  • Slumps and funks come for everyone, and a five-foot-nine right fielder for the Brewers named Sal Frelick might launch a home run in Game Two of the World Series to cap off a thrilling late-game comeback.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Joseph Paintsil scored his first two goals since August as the Galaxy hung on impressively for a point, but endangered their own playoff hopes by blowing the lead in another thrilling El Tráfico derby.
    — Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of thrilling
Verb
  • But the company’s stock has gone nowhere over the past two years, as Instacart struggled to find new paths to growth while facing increasing competition from Amazon and Walmart’s grocery-delivery offerings.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
  • For a while, the music hangs there, pieces echoing each other with increasing intensity.
    — Vanessa Ague, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of increasing
Verb
  • Major Wilson, 17, has been around horses most of his life and now spends much of his time helping younger riders get ready, showing them how to saddle their horses without exciting them.
    — Jhair Romero, Houston Chronicle, 26 Feb. 2026
  • For Harrington and her husband Dante, the thought of triplets was shocking but exciting all the same.
    — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Definition of exciting
Verb
  • The four countries agreed Monday to continue talks on expanding cooperation among them, particularly about regional peace and security, a statement said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Some brands are expanding their use of advance material and capacity commitments, while delaying final decisions on color, SKU quantities or market allocation.
    — Jessica Binns, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of expanding
Verb
  • But Salazar, who, amazingly, is also a Cuban American former news anchor, is now reckoning with her district increasingly turning on the President amid economic pressure and an immigration crackdown that is extremely unpopular among Latinos.
    — Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Virginia, your story uses dark humor to manipulate readers into sympathizing with Winifred before turning on them.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of turning on
Verb
  • With Russia's accelerating orbital forays, the clock appears to be ticking.
    — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Assisi gathering came as the Vatican is accelerating its humanitarian efforts for Ukraine following the entry into effect of a localized cease-fire in the devastated southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerating
Verb
  • The Cougars stuffed all the ways Utah likes to run the ball until Dampier took matters into his own hands and posted a season high in rushing in electrifying style.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Under Porter's direction, the ensemble mines every beat for honest friction, turning a century-old battle over dignity and artistic ownership into an electrifying stage presence.
    — La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of electrifying
Verb
  • Government bond investors want cuts to public spending, less borrowing and business-friendly measures aimed at boosting growth, such as reversing some of the payroll tax increases introduced under Reeves.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • As Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy came under fire for releasing an attack ad featuring his Democratic competitor’s estranged mother, a mysterious news site was running a Facebook ad boosting the controversial video.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of boosting

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pumping
pumping up
pumps
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Cite this Entry

“Pumping up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumping%20up. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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