punch up

See also: punchup and punch-up

English

Pronunciation

• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈpʌntʃ ˌʌp/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (verb) IPA^(key): /ˌpʌntʃ ˈʌp/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Verb

punch up (third-person singular simple present punches up, present participle punching up, simple past and past participle punched up)

1. (transitive) To beat (someone) up by punching, to fist-fight.
2. (intransitive, slang) To attack or target a group of greater power or status than oneself.

   Synonyms: punch upward, punch upwards

   Antonym: punch down

3. (transitive) To make bolder, zestier, or more exciting.
   • 2013, America's Test Kitchen, Comfort Food Makeovers: All Your Favorites Made Lighter:

     To punch up the flavor even more, we looked to an untraditional ingredient: fish sauce.

4. (transitive, television) To switch (a source) into the main transmission.
   • 1970, Larry G. Goodwin, Thomas Koehring, Closed-circuit Television Production Techniques, page 80:

     Sound films have to be loaded so that the sound is 5 seconds before the sound drum so a wow does not result when the film is punched up on the air.

   • 1982, Thomas D. Burrows, Donald N. Wood, Television Production: Disciplines and Techniques, page 132:

     In this illustrated example, camera 2 is punched up on the program buss and is therefore being sent out directly […]

Related terms

• punch-up session

Noun

punch up (plural punch ups)

1. Misspelling of punch-up.

References

• punch-up, freedictionary.com