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punching up

 - 2 dictionary results

punch

1  [puhnch]
Use punching up in a Sentence
–noun
1. a thrusting blow, esp. with the fist.
2. forcefulness, effectiveness, or pungency in content or appeal; power; zest: a letter to voters that needs more punch.
–verb (used with object)
3. to give a sharp thrust or blow to, esp. with the fist.
4. Western U.S. and Western Canada. to drive (cattle).
5. to poke or prod, as with a stick.
6. Informal. to deliver (lines in a play, a musical passage, or the like) with vigor.
7. to strike or hit in operating: to punch the typewriter keys.
8. to put into operation with or as if with a blow: to punch a time clock.
9. Baseball. to hit (the ball) with a short, chopping motion rather than with a full swing: He punched a soft liner just over third base for a base hit.
–verb (used without object)
10. to give a sharp blow to a person or thing, as with the fist: The boxer punches well.
—Verb phrases
11. punch away, Informal. to keep trying or working, esp. in difficult or discouraging circumstances; persevere: punching away at the same old job.
12. punch in,
a. to record one's time of arrival at work by punching a time clock.
b. to keyboard (information) into a computer: to punch in the inventory figures.
13. punch out,
a. to record one's time of departure from work by punching a time clock.
b. Slang. to beat up or knock out with the fists.
c. to extract (information) from a computer by the use of a keyboard: to punch out data on last week's sales.
d. to bail out; eject from an aircraft.
14. punch up,
a. to call up (information) on a computer by the use of a keyboard: to punch up a list of hotel reservations.
b. Informal. to enliven, as with fresh ideas or additional material: You'd better punch up that speech with a few jokes.
—Idioms
15. pull punches,
a. to lessen deliberately the force of one's blows.
b. Informal. to act with restraint or hold back the full force or implications of something: He wasn't going to pull any punches when he warned them of what they would be up against.
16. roll with the punches, Informal. to cope with and survive adversity: In the business world you quickly learn to roll with the punches.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME punchen (v.); appar. var. of pounce 1

Related forms:
puncher, noun

Synonyms:
3. strike, hit; drub, pummel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

Punch 
the puppet show star, 1709, shortening of Punchinello (1666), from It. (Neapolitan) Pollecinella, dim. of pollecena "turkey pullet," probably in allusion to his big nose. The phrase pleased as punch apparently refers to his unfailing triumph over enemies. The comic weekly of this name was published in London from 1841.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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