level up

present singular third person levels up · US participle present leveling up · UK participle present levelling up · US participle past leveled up · US past leveled up · UK participle past levelled up · UK past levelled up

1. transitiveliteral and figurativeTo raise to the same level or status; to improve so as to make as good as others.

   Near-synonym: step up

   1 more example

   The government promises to level up the department.

   Synonyms: step up · Antonyms: level down

2. UKspecificTo reduce economic and developmental inequalities across the United Kingdom.

   Boris Johnson should consider setting targets to level up the UK’s weakest regions to tackle widespread inequality, according to one of the government’s senior independent policy advisers.

   2020 February 4, Phillip Inman, “Set targets to 'level up' regions, says Industrial Strategy Council”, in The Guardian

   1 more example

   Labour's Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds hit back at Sunak and said that his failure to greenlight major projects such as Northern Powerhouse Rail showed that government claims of levelling up the country were "not supported by the evidence".

   2020 December 2, Paul Stephen, “Network News: Sunak focuses on jobs, infrastructure and 'levelling up'”, in Rail, page 7

3. ambitransitiveroleplaying gamesvideo gamesTo progress to the next level of player character stats and abilities, often by acquiring experience points in role-playing games.

   I leveled up after defeating the dragon.

   2 more examples

   As your troops conquer the enemy, they'll earn experience and gain levels. Each time they level up, their stats will increase.

   2003 December 28, “Fire Emblem”, in Nintendo Power, volume 174, Show Some Class, page 33

   For example, there are still mobs to defeat, and doing so levels up your character and improves your gear.

   2024 November 21, Nathan Warby, “What is Supervive? New MOBA gameplay, platforms, more”, in Dexerto