# run up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

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

## Definition

to let a bill or debt grow by buying many things. You use this when someone spends a lot of money quickly.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He ran up to a big debt last month." but "He ran up a big debt last month." — the phrasal verb is transitive and takes the object directly without the preposition 'to'.

## Usage notes

- 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.

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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.