punched up; punching up; punches up
: 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
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
In the hands of the endlessly inventive comedian, the tale of a boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps and seeks out fame and fortune becomes a madcap delight complete with a zingy script, cartoonish punch-ups, collapsing sets, and a heady dose of magical realism.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Morgenthaler’s version—amaretto and lemon, punched up with a pour of high-proof bourbon, and smoothed out with an egg white—utterly transforms the drink.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch-up
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Noun
The Oscar promo did end up being released, with the main concept intact but minus those punch-ups.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
In the hands of the endlessly inventive comedian, the tale of a boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps and seeks out fame and fortune becomes a madcap delight complete with a zingy script, cartoonish punch-ups, collapsing sets, and a heady dose of magical realism.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
Verb
In an effort to punch up the age-old fairy tale, director Webb and the writers reimagined the dashing prince as a more modern type of love interest.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Morgenthaler’s version—amaretto and lemon, punched up with a pour of high-proof bourbon, and smoothed out with an egg white—utterly transforms the drink.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch-up
Cite this Entry
“Punch-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch-up. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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