To increase something steadily and significantly, often in response to demand or urgency.
To make something bigger, faster, or more powerful — usually doing it gradually but with clear intention.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To increase something, such as production, pressure, or spending, steadily and significantly.
"The factory ramped up production to meet the surge in demand."
We need to ramp up testing dramatically.
— Donald Trump, White House Briefing, March 2020
To intensify rhetoric, conflict, or pressure in a deliberate and escalating way.
"Both sides ramped up their rhetoric ahead of the election."
(Intransitive) To increase or grow in intensity, speed, or scale.
"Hiring ramped up significantly in the second quarter of the year."
Accelerating up a ramp — a gradual slope leading to a higher level.
To make something bigger, faster, or more powerful — usually doing it gradually but with clear intention.
Very common in business, politics, and news media. Often used for production, pressure, effort, or spending. Can be transitive ('they ramped up production') or intransitive ('production ramped up'). Increasingly common in everyday speech.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "ramp up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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