# bump up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bump-up
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to increase the amount, size, or level of something. You use this when you want to make a number or a price higher.

For teachers: To increase something, often by a small or discrete amount. Transitive; frequently used in contexts involving prices, grades, or quantities to indicate a deliberate adjustment upward.

## Examples

- The store decided to bump up the price of milk.
- After seeing her excellent final project, the professor decided to bump up her grade from a B to an A.
- The central bank may need to bump up interest rates sooner than expected to combat the rising tide of inflation across the sector.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They bumped up of the price." but "They bumped up the price." — The verb is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'of'.

## Usage notes

- This phrasal verb is transitive and usually takes a direct object like a price, a grade, or a number.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'increase' or 'raise'; 'bump up' often implies a small, quick, or informal adjustment rather than a major structural change.

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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.