bulk up

verb

bulked up; bulking up; bulks up

intransitive verb

: to gain weight especially by becoming more muscular

transitive verb

: to cause to bulk up

Examples of bulk up in a Sentence

she bulked up her hair with one hand as she reached for the shears with the other
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
See your financial planner for ideas to help bulk up your emergency fund. Winnie Sun, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 And some, like Dias of the CEA, worry that the Lamont administration’s hiring slowdown at state agencies could pose challenges if Connecticut needs to ramp up its work on the education front as well as bulk up staffing. Jessika Harkay, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2025 Trump's action to bulk up protections for American steel and aluminum producers restores effective global tariffs of 25% on all imports of the metals and extends the duties to hundreds of products made from the metals. Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025 As the boat pulls out of the harbor, guests are invited to bring their binoculars to the deck to check the landscape for whales, which come to the food-rich waterways each summer to bulk up for their winter calving season. Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bulk up

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of bulk up was in 1979

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bulk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulk%20up. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!