stepped-up

adjective

Increased; heightened.

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Meanings

adjectivestepped-up (comparative more stepped-up, superlative most stepped-up)

comparative more stepped-up · superlative most stepped-up

  1. Increased; heightened.

    Austria is a prime destination for smuggled people heading for the heart of the EU via Hungary from the Balkans. For many migrants, the Hungarian route remains an option despite stepped-up border patrols and a steel fence built by Hungary after the EU’s 2015 migration crisis.

    2023 May 23, Lisa O'Carroll, “Austria tightens border controls as Hungary frees convicted people smugglers”, in The Guardian

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
heightened

Origin

From step up.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

stepped-up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stepped-up

MLA

“stepped-up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stepped-up. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stepped-up,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stepped-up.

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