heat up

heat someone up

Fig. to make someone angry. (One old [now folksy] past tense is het.) This kind of nonsense really heats me up. Mean talk heats up the kids.

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heat something up (to something)

to raise the temperature of something to a certain level. Please heat this room up to about seventy degrees. Can you heat up the room a little more?

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heat up 

1. Lit. to get warmer or hot. It really heats up in the afternoon around here. How soon will dinner be heated up?

2. Fig. to grow more animated or combative. The debate began to heat up near the end. Their argument was heating up, and I was afraid there would be fighting.

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heat up (something) also heat something up

to become more active Although nothing is happening right now, business will likely heat up in September after vacation season. Her report has heated up debate on how the president should behave.

See also: heat, up