re-up
C1/C2Colloquial, Informal
Definition
Meaning
To renew or resupply, especially a contract, subscription, or stock of something.
To enlist for another term of service in the military. Colloquially: to restock a supply of drugs (illegal usage).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Originally and primarily a military term; now widely used in business, consumer, and sports contexts for renewal. The illegal drug use connotation remains strong in specific subcultures.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The military enlistment sense is more common in AmE due to larger military presence. The general 'renewal' sense is understood in both but more frequent in AmE.
Connotations
In BrE, it may sound slightly American. The drug connotation is equally recognized in both.
Frequency
Significantly more frequent in American English across all registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] re-upped [Object][Subject] re-upped with [Organization][Subject] re-upped for [Period/Amount]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “"Re-up on (something)" (colloquial for restocking)”
- “"Time to re-up" (signal for renewal)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Common for contract or subscription renewals: 'We need to re-up our cloud storage license.'
Academic
Rare; might appear in sociological texts discussing military or drug subcultures.
Everyday
Increasingly common for streaming services, phone contracts, club memberships.
Technical
Not used in formal technical writing; remains jargon in military, sports management, and entertainment.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He decided to re-up his broadband contract for another year.
- The player is expected to re-up with the club before the transfer window.
American English
- The sergeant chose to re-up for another four years.
- We need to re-up our Netflix subscription before it expires.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My phone contract is ending; I should re-up it soon.
- The star forward is in negotiations to re-up with the team for a record salary.
- After much deliberation, he re-upped his enlistment, committing to another tour overseas.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think RE + UP, as in lifting your commitment back UP to date.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMITMENT IS A CONTAINER THAT NEEDS REFILLING.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation like 'повторно вверх' – use 'продлить' or 'возобновить'.
- The drug slang meaning may not be understood from context by default.
Common Mistakes
- Writing as 'reup' without hyphen (becoming more common but hyphenated is standard).
- Using in overly formal contexts.
- Confusing with 'reboot' or 'restart' (which imply a fresh start, not continuation).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 're-up' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily informal or colloquial. Avoid it in formal legal documents or academic writing; use 'renew' or 'extend' instead.
Yes, informally (e.g., 'It's time for a re-up on coffee supplies.'). However, verb usage is far more common.
It originates from early 20th-century US military slang, short for 'reenlistment up' or 're-enlistment up.'
Not necessarily. In drug slang, it's neutral. In general use, it's neutral but can imply obligation ('I had to re-up my lease').