punching up

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.
   • He came back all punched up. He got a few stitches — they really punched him up good.
2. (intransitive, slang) To attack, counterattack, or target a group of greater power or status than oneself.
   • Her standup act involves a lot of punching up. It's possible to punch down in standup, a little bit here and there, but it's tricky to get right.

   Synonyms:

   punch upward, punch upwards

   Antonyms:

   punch down

3. (transitive) To make bolder, zestier, or more exciting.
   • Near-synonyms: kick up, spice up

   Synonyms:

   kick up, spice up

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