punch-up

1 of 2

noun

chiefly British

punch up

2 of 2

verb

punched up; punching up; punches up

transitive verb

: to give energy or forcefulness to
jokes added to punch up a speech

Examples of punch-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Reynolds apparently did punch-up on a balcony scene in the movie (though some counter those lines are also in 2016 Hoover novel). Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2024 What was supposed to be a quick punch-up gig for a two-week Encores! Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2024
Verb
In the final revision for second-quarter growth, the Commerce Department also punched up the level of gross domestic income gain to 3.4%, an adjustment of 2.1 percentage points from the previous estimate and closer in line with GDP. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024 From there, punch up the neutral outfit by way of a Fair Isle knit, such as this cozy cardigan from Faherty. Kelsey Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for punch-up 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1958, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of punch-up was in 1958

Dictionary Entries Near punch-up

Cite this Entry

“Punch-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch-up. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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