Increasing the amount, level, or intensity of something; raising it up.
From 'up', which comes from Proto-Germanic and is one of English's oldest prepositions. 'Upping' as a verb form became common in the 1800s in informal speech meaning to increase or raise.
You can 'up' your game, 'up' the ante, or 'up' your coffee consumption—this ultra-simple word is incredibly flexible because 'up' as a direction perfectly mirrors any kind of increase!
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