• Beef up To strengthen or reinforce something. She needs to beef up on her math skills before the exam. I'm trying to beef up my muscles so that I can look better. The company decided to beef up its security measures after the recent cyber attack. The police beefed up their presence in the neighborhood after a series of break-ins.

  • Team up with To collaborate or join forces with someone in order to work together towards a common goal or objective. The singer teamed up with a renowned producer to create her debut album. The detective teamed up with a forensic expert to solve the complex murder case. The two companies decided to team up with each other to develop a new software application.

  • Bulk up To increase muscle mass or body size through weight training or bodybuilding exercises. The actor bulked up to play a superhero in a movie. He started going to the gym to bulk up for the bodybuilding competition.

  • Bulk out To add more substance or content to something. The chef bulked out the stew with some extra vegetables. We decided to add some additional graphs and charts to the presentation to bulk it out and make it more visually appealing. The article was bulked out with unsourced material and misrepresentations of sources, making it difficult to discern factual information.

  • Bone up on To study or learn about something intensively. I need to bone up on my French grammar before the test. He boned up on the history of the region before his trip.

  • Scuff up To scratch or scrape the surface of something so that it is no longer as smooth or shiny as it was before. I scuffed up my bike helmet when I fell off my bike. I scuffed up the wall trying to move my couch into the living room. The bottom of my suitcase got scuffed up after being dragged through the airport.

  • Knock down To criticize or dismiss an idea or suggestion. The board members knocked down the proposal to expand the company's operations overseas, citing potential financial risks and market uncertainties.

  • Buddy up (with/to) To form a close or friendly relationship with someone, often for a specific purpose or activity. The new intern buddied up to the CEO in order to get ahead. During the workshop, we were encouraged to buddy up with a partner to practice the new skills we learned.

  • Gun down To shoot and kill someone with a gun. The police officers gunned down the suspect who was threatening them. The suspect refused to drop his weapon, so the SWAT team had no choice but to gun him down.

  • Gun for To actively pursue or target something or someone, often with a competitive or aggressive attitude. The team is gunning for a playoff spot this season after narrowly missing it last year. The prosecutor is gunning for a conviction, and he's been building a strong case against the defendant. The athlete has been gunning for the gold medal for years, and he finally achieved his goal at the Olympics. Sarah has been gunning for that job promotion for months. She's been working overtime and taking on extra projects to show her dedication.

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