heat up

become more intense or exciting (a situation, competition)

B2

What does "heat up" mean?

When a situation, competition, or dispute heats up, it becomes more intense, exciting, or tense — often gradually and visibly. The phrase captures the sense of rising energy, as if a situation is building towards a peak. It is especially common in journalism and commentary, where writers describe developing stories such as election campaigns, sporting rivalries, or political conflicts. You will often hear it in the present continuous ('things are heating up') because it describes an ongoing process rather than a single moment. The adverb 'really' pairs naturally with it to emphasise just how dramatically a situation is escalating.

Examples

How to use it

subject (situation/competition) + heat up

This is the core pattern — an abstract situation or contest is the subject, and the phrasal verb stands alone with no object.

The rivalry between the two clubs is really heating up ahead of the final.

things + heat up

'Things' is a very common dummy subject used when the situation in general is becoming more intense.

Things are heating up in the capital as protesters gather in the city centre.

it + heat up

'It' can refer back to a situation already mentioned, keeping the sentence concise.

Analysts have been watching the trade dispute closely, and it's really heating up now.

really / quickly / fast + heat up

Adverbs like 'really', 'quickly', and 'fast' are frequently used to intensify or characterise the speed of escalation.

The debate quickly heated up when the candidates began disagreeing on economic policy.

Common Collocations

election campaigncompetitionrivalrydebateconflictnegotiations

Common Mistakes

Using it transitively in the figurative sense

In this sense, 'heat up' is intransitive — a situation heats up on its own. You cannot say 'they heated up the competition' to mean it became more intense; that structure belongs to the literal, physical sense.

✗ The new signing really heated up the rivalry.
✓ The rivalry really heated up after the new signing was announced.
Confusing 'heat up' with 'flare up'

'Flare up' describes a sudden, unexpected burst of intensity, while 'heat up' describes a more gradual rise in tension or excitement. They are not always interchangeable.

✗ Violence flared up slowly over several months as tensions grew.
✓ Tensions heated up slowly over several months before the dispute became public.
Using this sense with physical objects as the subject

When the subject is a physical object or substance (food, liquid, a room), 'heat up' means to become physically warmer — a completely different sense. Reserve this figurative sense for situations, competitions, and conflicts.

✗ The soup is really heating up — the election is almost here.
✓ The election race is really heating up as voting day approaches.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and very common in journalism and news reporting. The present continuous ('is heating up') is by far the most natural tense, reflecting a situation that is currently developing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'heat up' in any tense, or is one more natural than others?

The present continuous ('is heating up') is by far the most natural form for this sense, because it describes a situation that is currently developing and intensifying. Simple past ('heated up') and present perfect ('has been heating up') also work well. Forms like the past perfect continuous ('had been heating up') tend to sound awkward and are best avoided.

Does 'heat up' always refer to something negative, like a conflict?

Not at all — it can describe positive excitement too, such as a sporting competition or a bidding war. The key idea is simply that a situation is becoming more intense or energetic, whether that energy is tense, exciting, or competitive.

Is 'hot up' the same as 'heat up' in this sense?

'Hot up' is used in British English with essentially the same figurative meaning. However, 'heat up' is more internationally recognised and is the safer choice if you want to be understood by a global audience.

What kinds of subjects work best with this sense of 'heat up'?

The most natural subjects are situations, competitions, and disputes — for example, election campaigns, title races, trade wars, negotiations, and rivalries. The subject should always be an abstract situation or contest, never a physical object.

Can 'heat up' be used in the passive in this sense?

No — because this sense of 'heat up' is intransitive (it has no object), a passive construction is not possible. The situation itself does the 'heating up', so it is always the subject of the verb.

Ready to practise?

Practise 1,000+ English phrasal verbs with interactive gap-fill exercises.

Start Practising →