head up

verb

To lead or take the lead in; to direct; to take charge of.

“We want you to head up the effort to organize all the entries.”

Similar
headlead
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Meanings

verbhead up (third-person singular simple present heads up, present participle heading up, simple past and past participle headed up)

present singular third person heads up · participle present heading up · participle past headed up · past headed up

  1. transitiveTo lead or take the lead in; to direct; to take charge of.

    We want you to head up the effort to organize all the entries.

    1 more example

    April 19 2002, Scott Tobias, AV Club Fightvillehttps://web.archive.org/web/20120427104854/http://www.avclub.com/articles/fightville,72589/ The gym’s proprietor, “Crazy” Tim Credeur, heads up the Gladiator Academy, which serves as a pipeline for amateur MMA fighters to move up the ranks, though few of them do.

  2. transitiveTo close (a cask, barrel, etc.) by fitting a head to it.
  3. nauticalTo turn towards the wind

Synonyms & antonyms

verbbe the first or leading member of (a group) and excel

Similar
headlead
Broader
headlead
Also see
headleadpile upround to

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Czech být v čele
  • být v čelelead or take the lead
Polish dowodzić, kierować
  • dowodzićlead or take the lead
  • kierowaćlead or take the lead
  • zarządzaćlead or take the lead
Portuguese encabeçar
  • encabeçarlead or take the lead
Russian возгла́вить
  • возгла́вить (vozglávitʹ)lead or take the lead
Spanish encabezar, dirigir
  • encabezarlead or take the lead
  • dirigirlead or take the lead
Cite this entry
APA

head up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20up

MLA

“head up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20up. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “head up,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20up.

Source: head up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.