level up

verb

leveled up or levelled up; leveling up or levelling up; levels up

transitive + intransitive

: to advance or improve (oneself, someone else, or something) in or as if in a game

Collect cards and magic potions, then level up your favourite dragons to increase their abilities.

—Animation Xpress

Staying competitive comes down to many factors, but one that's often overlooked, in my opinion, is the ongoing need to level up your marketing team.

—Sujan Patel

That [Kevin] Reilly has leveled up the brands of both networks is clear in their programming selections.

—Broadcasting and Cable

We provide nurses with the tools they need to level up their careers and their profession …

—News & Record (Greensboro, North Carolina)

Leveling up and finding new weapons, armor, or items give you plenty of incentive to keep slashing and button mashing away.

—Dan Hsu

Companies coax helpers to participate by offering points for useful answers, connecting total points to specific achievement levels, and encouraging users to level up, for even greater prestige.

—Paul McFedries

Examples of level up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For a few lucky fans, there's even a chance to golf and jam with Cooper himself, leveling up the non-alcoholic experience. —Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

Streaming as a viewing category leveled up again in December, according to Nielsen‘s monthly Gauge report, rising 9% over the previous month after a comparable gain in November. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025

And like Cunningham, Jalen Green is leveling up in real-time, averaging 29.8 points per game in January. —Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025

Nudging All of Us Toward Peaceful Change Mother Chimp and Daughter Share a Special Sign Learn how to level up your Wordle solve. —New York Times Games, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2003, in the meaning defined above