# crank up

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/crank-up
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To muster up the mental energy to do something.

## Examples

- I need to crank up the energy to clean my room.
- It was a long day, but I had to crank up the motivation to finish my final report before the deadline.
- Despite his profound exhaustion, he managed to crank up the necessary resolve to address the board of directors and defend his controversial proposal.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.