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spike up

B2 neutral inseparable intransitive

to rise suddenly and sharply

In plain English

to go up very fast in a short time

What does "spike up" mean?

One main meaning — here's how to use it.

1 B2 idiomatic neutral

to increase very quickly and sharply

"Fuel prices spiked up again after the storm."

inseparable

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

to go up like a sharp spike

Actually means

to go up very fast in a short time

Usage tip

Common in business, medicine, statistics, and news reporting. Usually used for numbers, prices, cases, rates, or demand.

Words that pair with "spike up"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

prices cases demand temperature numbers inflation

How to conjugate "spike up"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
spike up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
spikes up
he/she/it
Past simple
spiked up
yesterday
Past participle
spiked up
have + pp
-ing form
spiking up
continuous

Hear "spike up" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "spike up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Other ways to say "spike up"

Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.

climb rapidly jump rise sharply shoot up surge

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