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 those that have heavily invested in Call of Duty over the last few years by purchasing skins and aggressively leveling up their gear, there’s some bad news. —Cade Onder, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024

Opt for this makeup artist favorite lipstick that’s currently on sale for $20, or a facial cleansing brush discounted to $125 to level up your beauty routine. —Jenifer Calle, Glamour, 21 Oct. 2024

Thinking about leveling up your reading setup or looking for the perfect gift for the bookworm in your life? —Sara Coughlin, SELF, 16 Oct. 2024

Was there any hesitation in leveling up to a venue like that? —Thomas Smith, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

2003, in the meaning defined above