1 C1 idiomatic slang
To recruit or deploy mercenary fighters for a military operation or conflict.
"The warlord decided to merc up after losing a third of his regular troops."
separable
merc up
C1 slang separable transitive
To hire or deploy mercenary soldiers or armed contractors for a mission or conflict.
In plain English
To get paid soldiers (not regular army) to fight for you.
What does "merc up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic slang
(Gaming) To fill one's team with mercenary-class characters or hired units in a video game.
"We were losing badly, so we merced up our squad with high-level contractors before the final mission."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
'Merc' is short for mercenary; 'up' implies increasing or equipping. Together: fill up with mercenaries.
Actually means
To get paid soldiers (not regular army) to fight for you.
Usage tip
Highly informal slang, used mainly in military gaming culture, online forums, and informal discussions of private military contractors (PMCs). Rarely found in mainstream journalism.
Words that pair with "merc up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
army squad mission force operation troops
How to conjugate "merc up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
merc up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
mercs up
he/she/it
Past simple
merced up
yesterday
Past participle
merced up
have + pp
-ing form
mercing up
continuous
Hear "merc up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "merc up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "merc up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
bring in PMCs contract soldiers hire mercenaries staff up with contractors
Keep exploring
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