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
After years of being in stand-up comedy, Ronny Chieng’s career is most certainly heating up.
—
Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
Ertz's season was just beginning to heat up as the Super Bowl winner secured a touchdown in each of his last three games.
—Sean Treppedi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
As the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China heats up, the PLA Navy has also seen a drastic increase in the procurement of warships and other weapons, providing ample opportunities for corruption, said Victor Shih, a political science professor at the University of San Diego.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024
According to LaPaglia, her and O’Malley’s friendship began to fall out as LaPaglia and Bryan’s relationship heated up.
—Alex Gonzalez, SPIN, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heat up 
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Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
Ertz's season was just beginning to heat up as the Super Bowl winner secured a touchdown in each of his last three games.
—Sean Treppedi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
As the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China heats up, the PLA Navy has also seen a drastic increase in the procurement of warships and other weapons, providing ample opportunities for corruption, said Victor Shih, a political science professor at the University of San Diego.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024
According to LaPaglia, her and O’Malley’s friendship began to fall out as LaPaglia and Bryan’s relationship heated up.
—Alex Gonzalez, SPIN, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heat up
Dictionary Entries Near heat up
Cite this Entry
“Heat up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20up. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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