even up
B2Slightly informal, common in spoken and some written contexts (business, journalism).
Definition
Meaning
to make two or more things equal in amount, level, or status.
To bring a situation, game, or account into a state of equality or fairness, often by making compensatory adjustments.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily phrasal verb (transitive). Focuses on achieving parity. Often implies an initial imbalance is being corrected. Can be used in literal (numbers) and metaphorical (chances) contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use it. 'Even up' is slightly more common in UK English; US English may also use 'even out' in similar contexts, but they are not fully interchangeable.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly positive (fairness).
Frequency
Moderate frequency in both, with a slight edge in UK usage.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SVO (with particle): Someone evens up something.Passive: Something is evened up (by someone).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Even up the score”
- “Even up the odds”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used when adjusting accounts, budgets, or resource allocation to ensure fairness. 'We need to even up the workload between the two teams.'
Academic
Less common, but can appear in social sciences discussing equity or statistical adjustments.
Everyday
Common in discussions about games, sports, chores, or sharing. 'Have another biscuit to even up the portions.'
Technical
Rare. Potential use in statistics or engineering for data/normalization processes.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The referee added injury time to even up the contest.
- Let me buy the next round to even things up.
American English
- The tax credit is designed to even up the burden for families.
- We traded a later pick to even up the deal.
adverb
British English
- N/A for this phrasal verb as an adverb.
American English
- N/A for this phrasal verb as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- N/A for this phrasal verb as an adjective.
American English
- N/A for this phrasal verb as an adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher gave him two more sweets to even up the number.
- The teams were not fair, so we evened them up.
- After the penalty, the score was evened up at 1-1.
- Can you even up the piles of paper so they have the same amount?
- The new policy aims to even up opportunities for students from different backgrounds.
- The company issued share bonuses to even up the equity among early employees.
- Critics argue the subsidy merely evens up an already distorted market, rather than addressing the root cause of the imbalance.
- The diplomatic concession was a strategic move to even up the negotiating positions ahead of the summit.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a wobbly table with one short leg. You PUT a book under it to make it LEVEL UP. You EVEN UP the legs.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAIRNESS IS BALANCE / EQUALITY IS A LEVEL SURFACE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate word-for-word as 'даже вверх'.
- It is not about making something 'ровным' in a physical sense (like a road), but about creating equivalence.
- Beware of confusing with 'even out', which focuses more on smoothing fluctuations over time.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'even up' when 'even out' is needed for describing smoothing a variable process (e.g., 'The road evens out' NOT 'evens up').
- Incorrect word order: 'I'll up even the score' (incorrect).
- Using it as an adjective: 'The scores are even up' (incorrect). Use 'The scores are even' or 'The scores have been evened up.'
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'even up' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral to slightly informal. In very formal writing, 'equalize', 'balance', or 'adjust' might be preferred.
'Even up' focuses on making separate, discrete things equal. 'Even out' focuses on removing irregularities or fluctuations from a single continuous thing (e.g., 'The path evens out after the hill') or making a distribution smoother over time.
No, it is a transitive phrasal verb. It requires a direct object (e.g., even up *the scores*).
It is 'evened up'. 'Even' is the main verb, 'up' is the particle. Example: 'They evened up the totals yesterday.'