# go up

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/go-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to increase in price, level, or amount.

For teachers: to increase in quantity, price, or level. This phrasal verb is intransitive.

## Examples

- The price of coffee is going up again.
- The temperature is expected to go up to 30 degrees Celsius this afternoon.
- As public awareness of the environmental crisis goes up, so too does the political pressure for legislative action.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The shop went up the prices." but "The prices went up." — 'Go up' is intransitive and cannot take a direct object; use 'raise' for the action of increasing something.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used for prices, numbers, temperatures, and other measurable levels.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'raise', which is transitive: prices *go up* (on their own), but a company *raises* prices.

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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.