heat up

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
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.
This week’s talk has an extra dose of urgency, though, after two government reports showed inflation heating up for consumers and businesses — spurring speculation about how soon the Fed will raise interest rates to handle soaring prices. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026 Vicks VapoRub, for example, should be applied only to the chest and throat and never heated up. — Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026 Reggaeton, urbano and Latin pop superstars, including Anuel AA, Myke Towers, Farruko, Manuel Turizo, Eladio Carrión, will heat up the stage. — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026 Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are heating up the planet, but a weather model might make predictions based on historical records that can bias it toward colder temperatures than the world is actually experiencing today. — Justine Calma, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heat up

Rhymes for heat up

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Browse Nearby Words

heat unit
heat up
heat wave
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Cite this Entry

“Heat up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20up. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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