Phrasal verb
run up
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
run up
Past
ran up
Past participle
run up
Definition
phrasal verb. to let a bill or debt grow by buying many things. You use this when someone spends a lot of money quickly.
phrasal verb. to accumulate a significant amount of debt or a high bill through repeated purchases or usage. Transitive and often separable, though the object typically follows the particle.
Examples
“She runs up a large bill every time she shops online.”
“During his trip abroad, he accidentally ran up a massive roaming charge on his mobile phone bill.”
“The corporation had run up such substantial debts that the board of directors was forced to declare bankruptcy before the end of the fiscal year.”
Examples
simple
“She runs up a large bill every time she shops online.”
contextual
“During his trip abroad, he accidentally ran up a massive roaming charge on his mobile phone bill.”
complex
“The corporation had run up such substantial debts that the board of directors was forced to declare bankruptcy before the end of the fiscal year.”
Usage
usually collocated with financial nouns like 'bill', 'debt', 'deficit', or 'expenses'.
Teaching tip
focus on the financial context and contrast it with 'pay off' or 'settle' to clarify the meaning of accumulation.
Pitfall
He ran up to a big debt last month.
He ran up a big debt last month.
the phrasal verb is transitive and takes the object directly without the preposition 'to'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
run + up + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/run-up