star up
C1 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To make someone a star or give them a leading role
Literal meaning: To move someone up to star level
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
informal
To cast or promote someone as the star of a production or project
"The director decided to star up the young understudy after the lead actor fell ill."
Grammar: separable
2 C1
idiomatic
informal
To rise to a starring or leading position in entertainment
"She starred up quickly after her debut album went platinum."
Usage notes
Rare and mostly used in entertainment industry contexts. Can also be used intransitively to mean someone rises to star status. Not widely used and may be unfamiliar even to many native speakers.
Commonly used with
actor singer performer film production lead
Forms
Base
star up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stars up
he/she/it
Past simple
stared up
yesterday
Past participle
stared up
have + pp
-ing form
staring up
continuous
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Synonyms
promote elevate give a starring role make a star
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