English Reference

Phrasal verb

shoot up

Definition

phrasal verb. to increase very quickly in number, price, or size. You use this when something goes up much faster than usual.

phrasal verb. to rise or increase rapidly and suddenly. This intransitive sense typically describes market values, temperatures, or physical height.

Examples

“House prices in this city are shooting up.”

“After the news of the merger broke, the company's stock price shot up by twenty percent in a single afternoon.”

“Despite the central bank's efforts to curb inflation, the cost of living continues to shoot up, placing an immense burden on low-income households.”

Examples

simple

“House prices in this city are shooting up.”

contextual

“After the news of the merger broke, the company's stock price shot up by twenty percent in a single afternoon.”

complex

“Despite the central bank's efforts to curb inflation, the cost of living continues to shoot up, placing an immense burden on low-income households.”

Usage

This verb is intransitive, meaning it does not take a direct object.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'soar' or 'rocket'; 'shoot up' is very common in spoken English to describe children growing taller or prices rising.

Pitfall

The prices were shot up.

The prices shot up.

This sense of the phrasal verb is intransitive and cannot be used in the passive voice.

Phrasal verb

Particles

up

Separability

inseparable

Pattern

shoot + up

Synonyms

soarrocketskyrocketsurge

Antonyms

plummetdropfall

Grammar

Phrasal verbs (introduction)

This entry

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
Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Updated

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