1
: the act of running up something
2
: a usually sudden increase in volume or price
3
: a period immediately preceding an action or event
ran up; run up; running up; runs up
: to grow rapidly : shoot up
1
: bid up
2
: to stitch together quickly
3
: to erect hastily
4
: to achieve by accumulating
ran up a big lead
Examples of run-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
House reasoned the recent run-up in debt because of the pandemic is an example of how fiscal stimulus can lead to productivity—after all, Q2, Q3, and Q4 2023 all saw productivity increases of more than 3% compared with the prior quarter, according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for run-up 
Noun
What will interest rates do in 2024? Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said recently that officials are no longer worried that strong job growth will overheat the economy and reignite a sharp run-up in prices.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
House reasoned the recent run-up in debt because of the pandemic is an example of how fiscal stimulus can lead to productivity—after all, Q2, Q3, and Q4 2023 all saw productivity increases of more than 3% compared with the prior quarter, according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for run-up
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'run-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Run-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/run-up. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
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