# filter up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

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

## Definition

to move slowly from a lower level of a group or system to a higher one. You use this when news or ideas reach the bosses from the workers.

For teachers: to move gradually or in small stages from a lower level of a hierarchy or system to a higher one. The verb is intransitive and frequently describes the movement of information or capital.

## Examples

- News about the new project will filter up to the manager soon.
- Complaints from the factory floor eventually filter up to the board of directors, though the process is often slow.
- In a decentralized organization, innovative ideas frequently filter up from junior staff to the executive suite, driving long-term growth.

## Usage notes

- This phrase is typically intransitive and often takes the preposition 'to'.
- Teaching tip: Contrast this with 'filter down' to help students visualize the direction of information flow within a hierarchy.

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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.