hots (up)

present tense third-person singular of hot (up), chiefly Southern, southern Midland, & British
as in heats
to cause to have or give off heat to a moderate degree with a silky Southern drawl, the waitress asked, "Want me to hot up that pie?"

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hots (up)
heats
Verb
  • With the team’s new system, the heat pump heats water and uses a large tank to buffer the heat.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In those systems, surplus solar and wind power runs a heat pump that heats material packed into the well to as much as 284 F (140 C), and that heat later drives a generator.
    — Moones Alamooti, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Hots (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hots%20%28up%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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