# kick up

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/kick-up
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to cause trouble

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to cause a problem or start a big argument about something.

For teachers: to provoke or initiate a disturbance, fuss, or complaint. Often used with 'a fuss', 'a stink', or 'a row'.

- The customers began to kick up a fuss when they realized the flight was cancelled.
- The local residents kicked up a massive row regarding the proposed construction of the new shopping centre in the green belt.

### 2. to increase a value

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · American English · Informal

to raise the price or amount of something.

For teachers: to increase a price, rate, or quantity. Transitive and often used in commercial or financial contexts.

- The landlord decided to kick up the rent by another fifty dollars this month.
- The central bank's decision to kick up interest rates caught many retail investors by surprise.

### 3. to flare up or start

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to start acting in a bad way, like an old injury hurting again or a storm starting.

For teachers: to begin to function improperly or to increase in intensity. Used for illnesses, mechanical issues, or weather phenomena.

- My old knee injury started to kick up again after I went for a long run.
- The wind began to kick up just as the sailors were attempting to moor the vessel in the harbour.

### 4. to pass to a superior

phrasal verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

to send a decision or a problem to a person with more power than you.

For teachers: to refer a matter or proposal to a higher level of authority within a hierarchy.

- The manager couldn't solve the issue, so he had to kick it up to the director.
- The legal team decided to kick the contract dispute up to the executive board for a final determination.

## Examples

- He kicked up a row over the noise.
- The employee kicked up a fuss when the manager didn't give a raise.
- The politician's controversial statement kicked up a storm of media attention.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: contrast with 'start a row' (more general) and 'raise a problem' (more formal); 'kick up' is vivid and informal, often implying suddenness.

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