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skill up

B1 informal inseparable intransitive
In simple words

To learn new things so you become better at your job or a hobby.

Literal meaning: To move a skill upward — implying improvement or elevation of ability.

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic informal

To learn new skills or improve existing ones, typically for work or career advancement.

"The company encouraged all employees to skill up before the new software rollout."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B2 idiomatic informal

To train or equip a person or group with new capabilities (used transitively in some dialects).

"We need to skill up the entire sales team before the product launch."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Common in tech, business, and career development contexts. Gained popularity in the 2010s alongside 'upskill'. Used frequently in job ads and LinkedIn posts. Primarily British and Australian English, though now global.

Commonly used with

workforce employees team workers quickly fast

Forms

Base
skill up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
skills up
he/she/it
Past simple
skilled up
yesterday
Past participle
skilled up
have + pp
-ing form
skilling up
continuous

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