powered up; powering up; powers up
: to cause to operate
power up the computer
pow·er-up
ˈpau̇(-ə)r-ˌəp 
variants
or less commonly powerup
or power up
plural power-ups also powerups or power ups
1
: an item in a video game that makes a player's character more effective by enhancing an attribute (such as speed, health, or strength) or conferring an ability
… a bunch of power-ups at your disposal to help overcome the odds, including the Super Bell—which gives you catlike powers and the ability to climb walls.—
Jon Bitner
Jon BitnerYou can use the direction keys on your keyboard to navigate Pac-Man through the maze, gobbling up spheres and power ups while avoiding ghosts.—Cassidy Ward
Cassidy WardAfter you collect enough gems and level up, you're able to select another weapon or powerup.—Kris Holt
Kris Holt2
: the act of beginning to operate or causing something to operate
Do not use the device if the device requires multiple power-ups prior to going to "ready state" (solid green light) …—Contify Life Science News
Contify Life Science News… on power up, the user will experience the most rapid start-up time ever …—Business Wire
Business WireExamples of power up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebBig Think, 24 June 2024
Once it is powered up in August, plant officials told media that residents shouldn’t expect anything to to change with their energy.
—Lonyae Coulter, Kansas City Star, 22 June 2024
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 5 June 2024
The effect has been to transform the game from its original survival-of-the-fittest mandate into a contest that feels crafted for those raised on video games in which everyone is essentially a lone wolf and the goal is to amass as many power-ups as possible on your personal journey.
—Mark Harris, Vulture, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for power up 
Verb
The Future Wireless charging: one day an entire room may power up all your devices
Wireless charging isn’t just for phones and laptops.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Once it is powered up in August, plant officials told media that residents shouldn’t expect anything to to change with their energy.
—Lonyae Coulter, Kansas City Star, 22 June 2024
Noun
The countdown began late Tuesday night with the power-up of the Atlas V rocket, which was set to be filled with cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants around 5 am EDT (09:00 UTC).
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 5 June 2024
The effect has been to transform the game from its original survival-of-the-fittest mandate into a contest that feels crafted for those raised on video games in which everyone is essentially a lone wolf and the goal is to amass as many power-ups as possible on your personal journey.
—Mark Harris, Vulture, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for power up
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'power 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
“Power up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20up. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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