run-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈrən-ˌəp 

1

: the act of running up something

2

: a usually sudden increase in volume or price

3

: a period immediately preceding an action or event

run up

2 of 2

verb

ran up; run up; running up; runs up

intransitive verb

: to grow rapidly : shoot up

transitive verb

1

: bid up

2

: to stitch together quickly

3

: to erect hastily

4

: to achieve by accumulating

ran up a big lead

Examples of run-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Krasner accused Musk and his PAC in his lawsuit filed Monday of running a dubious lottery in the tense run-up to Tuesday's election. —Maryclaire Dale The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 2 Nov. 2024

Many would say it’s been a stressful run-up to November 7, and according to a recent survey from the American Psychological Association, 25% of adults are even losing sleep over it. —Renée Onque, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2024

Verb

Margin of victory matters for tiebreakers, so teams are incentivized to run up the score. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024

In 2024, the pressures of incumbency, right-wing populism, and an intensifying gender gap have degraded bedrock coalitions, allowing Republicans to make inroads among Black and Hispanic men and Democrats to run up the margins in affluent suburbs. —The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

run up

verb

: to cause to pile up : accumulate

ran up a big telephone bill