go up

phrasal verb

Formsgoes up, going up, went up, gone up

9 meanings of go up

1
move upwardphrasal verbintransitive
To move from a lower place to a higher one.
Let go of the string and watch the balloon go up into the sky.
The elevator went up to the tenth floor without stopping.
Similarrise, ascend
Oppositedescend
2
phrasal verbintransitive
To cost more than before, or to be worth more than before.
The price of bread went up again this week.
Ticket prices go up every summer at the water park.
Similarrise, increase
Oppositefall, drop, decrease
3
be builtphrasal verbintransitive
To be built, like a new house or other building.
A new school is going up next to the park.
We watched the walls go up one brick at a time.
Similarrise
4
burnphrasal verbintransitive
To burn and be destroyed by fire.
The old barn went up in flames last night.
One spark in that dry grass and the whole hill could go up.
Similarburn, combust
Note
5
bankruptphrasal verbintransitive
To lose all the money and fail completely, like a business that goes bankrupt.
The company went up owing money to half the people in town.
If the bank closes, a lot of small farms will go up with it.
Similarfold, fail, collapse
6
prisonphrasal verbintransitive
To be sent to prison.
Her brother went up for stealing cars.
If he gets caught again, he will go up for a long time.
7
forget lines (acting)phrasal verbintransitive
To forget what to say or where to move while acting in front of an audience.
He went up in the middle of his big speech and could not remember a single word.
Actors who go up on stage have to stay calm and keep going.
Similardry, blank
Note
8
cricket appealphrasal verbintransitive
In cricket, to shout to the umpire that the batter should be out.
The bowler went up, but the umpire said not out.
When the ball hit his pad, every fielder seemed to go up at once.
Similarappeal
Note

Less common meaning

9
universityphrasal verbdatedBritishintransitive
To go to a university as a student.
She went up to Oxford when she was eighteen.
His parents hoped he would go up to Cambridge like his father.
Note

Practice

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