well up

VERB

swell

Synonyms

STRONGEST

accumulate add to balloon bloat bulge enlarge expand fatten grow increase mount rise surge

STRONG

aggravate amplify augment belly billow blister dilate distend enhance extend heighten intensity plump pouch pout protrude puff tumefy uprise

WEAK

be inflated become bloated become distended become swollen fill out grow larger puff up round out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abridge decline decrease diminish drop fall lessen lose lower reduce shrink slump

STRONG

compress condense contract curtail shorten

WEAK

concentrate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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well up

Her fingers constantly twist a tissue as she tries to maintain her composure and she gazes into the distance as tears well up behind her glasses.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Annual inflation jumped to 4.1% in the second quarter, well up from 3.1% in the first quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Demand, Pollstar said, is still well up since 2019.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei all rose at least one percent, while Singapore and Manila were also well up, though Sydney slipped.

From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026

Slowly, from watching the pain well up in those men, I began to feel the consequences of what had happened to me.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

well up

Example Sentences

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