UP Words: The Compound Word Factory
English speakers love bolting UP onto the end of verbs. BACKUP, BREAKUP, BUILDUP, CATCHUP, CHECKUP, CLEANUP, CLOSEUP, COVERUP, CRACKUP, DUSTUP, FACEUP, FLAREUP, FOULUP, GETUP, GROWNUP, HANGUP, HICCUP, HOLDUP, HOOKUP, KICKUP, LETUP, LINEUP, LOCKUP, MAKEUP, MARKUP, MIXUP, PICKUP, PILEUP, POPUP, PULLUP, PUSHUP, ROUNDUP, RUNUP, SETUP, SHAKEUP, STARTUP, STICKUP, STIRRUP, TOSSUP, TUNEUP, TURNUP, WAKEUP, WINDUP. The pattern is wildly productive and shows no sign of stopping — MEETUP and POPUP are recent additions that followed the same centuries-old formula.
For crossword solvers, here's the key insight: most UP compound words are 6-7 letters long, and they're almost always clued by their verb phrase meaning rather than their noun meaning. "An investigation" could be CHECKUP. "Cosmetics" could be MAKEUP. "A robbery" could be HOLDUP or STICKUP. The double meaning (verb phrase vs. compound noun) is exactly what crossword constructors exploit. In Scrabble, CUP (7 points), PUP (7 points), and SUP (5 points) are handy three-letter plays, while HICCUP at 15 points is the highest-scoring common UP word.
Browse words starting with UN for the opposite prefix pattern, words ending in O for another compound-friendly ending, and words starting with R for ROUNDUP, RUNUP, and more. See also words ending in H for compound words that work differently.
FAQ
Are compound UP words written as one word or two?
It depends on the dictionary and how established the compound is. MAKEUP, LINEUP, and SETUP are universally one word. Newer compounds like MEETUP are transitioning. In Scrabble, only the solid (one-word) spellings are valid — hyphenated and two-word forms don't count. Check your specific dictionary, and explore words starting with D for DUSTUP and similar settled compounds.
What's the highest-scoring UP word in Scrabble?
MIXUP scores 15 points from just 5 tiles thanks to the X (8 points). HICCUP also hits 15 points. BACKUP at 16 points edges them out with the K tile. For more high-value short words, check words ending in OX and words ending in Q.
Why does English create so many UP compounds?
UP is one of English's most versatile particles, adding meanings of completion (eat up, use up), increase (mark up, heat up), or improvement (fix up, clean up) to base verbs. This flexibility means almost any verb can potentially spawn an UP compound. For the reverse pattern, see words starting with UN, English's other hyper-productive word element.