bulk up

verb

bulked up; bulking up; bulks up

intransitive verb

: to gain weight especially by becoming more muscular

transitive verb

: to cause to bulk up

Examples of bulk up in a Sentence

she bulked up her hair with one hand as she reached for the shears with the other

Recent Examples on the Web

On the global stage, that has meant taking a harder line against rivals like China and North Korea, while also bulking up Japan’s military. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026

Since then, Schlittler has bulked up, increased his velocity, cemented himself in Yankees postseason lore, and turned into the nastiest pitcher in a rotation that also features Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026

Peloton is bulking up its treadmill lineup with three new machines, including a foldable model that takes up less floor space and won't hurt your wallet as much as the others. — Bee Wertheimer, PC Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Ellison argues Paramount needs to bulk up to compete against digital titans Netflix, Amazon and Apple, as well as Disney. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for bulk up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup