Shoot up sth Meaning & Examples: How to Use This Phrasal Verb

What Does “Shoot up sth” Mean?

“Shoot up sth” means to increase or rise quickly or suddenly. It can also mean to inject drugs, depending on context.

Introduction

The phrasal verb “shoot up sth” has different meanings depending on how you use it. Most commonly, it refers to something increasing very fast, such as prices, numbers, or levels. For example, “The cost of fuel shot up last month.” Another meaning relates to injecting drugs, especially heroin. Understanding the shoot up sth meaning helps you use it correctly in conversations and writing. This guide explains its uses, grammar, common mistakes, and more, making it easier for you to master this phrase.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: shoot up something
• Type: Transitive
• Level: B2
• Short meaning: To increase quickly or to inject drugs

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Shoot up” is a separable phrasal verb when used with an object. You can place the object between “shoot” and “up” or after “up.”

• shoot something up
• shoot up something

Examples:

• The prices shot up last year. (no object, intransitive use)
• They shot the prices up by 20%. (separable, transitive)
• He shot up heroin. (separable, transitive)

How to Use Shoot up sth?

Use “shoot up sth” when you want to describe a rapid increase in something, such as prices, numbers, or levels. It often relates to statistics, costs, or rates. In informal or slang contexts, it can describe injecting drugs.

Make sure the object you mention is something that can increase or be injected. The meaning depends on the context, so pay attention to surrounding words.

Examples

The number of COVID-19 cases shot up last week, causing concern.

• Housing prices shot up after the new policy was announced.
• Electricity bills shot up during the summer due to air conditioning use.
• Some people shoot up illegal drugs, which is dangerous and illegal.
• The demand for the product shot up after the advertisement aired.
• Food prices shot up because of supply chain issues.

Here is shoot up sth in a sentence: “The cost of living has shot up in the past year.”

Common Mistakes

Many learners confuse the word order or use the phrase incorrectly with non-increasing objects.

• Incorrect: They shoot up the ball in the air. (shoot up is not used for throwing)
• Correct: The prices shot up last month.
• Incorrect: She shoot up the water. (wrong object)
• Correct: The temperature shot up in the afternoon.

Differences / Synonyms

“Shoot up sth” is similar to “go up,” “rise,” and “increase,” but it emphasizes a fast or sudden rise. Unlike “go up,” which can be intransitive, “shoot up” usually implies a sharp change.

Compared to “blow up,” which means to explode or become angry, “shoot up” focuses on rising quickly or injecting drugs.

Synonyms include:

• Skyrocket
• Surge
• Soar

Common Collocations

People often use “shoot up” with certain nouns to describe rapid increases or injections.

• Prices: to describe cost increases
• Numbers: referring to statistics or counts
• Cases: often in health or law enforcement contexts
• Rates: such as interest or crime rates
• Heroin/drugs: slang for injecting drugs

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of shoot up sth:

• Shoot Sth Up
• Shoot For Sth
• Shoot Sb Down
• Shoot Sb Up
• Shoot Sth Off

Real-life Dialogue

Here is a short conversation using “shoot up sth”:

Anna: Have you noticed how gas prices have shot up recently?

Ben: Yes, it’s crazy! I think the new taxes caused it.

Anna: I hope they come down soon. It’s getting expensive to drive.

Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “shoot up”:

• The number of tourists ____________ after the festival started.
• Electricity costs have ____________ in the last two months.
• It is dangerous to ____________ illegal drugs.
• Food prices usually ____________ during holidays.

FAQ

• Q: Can “shoot up” be used in formal writing?
  A: It is better to avoid “shoot up” in formal writing when referring to increases; use “increase rapidly” instead.
• Q: What does “shoot up” mean when talking about drugs?
  A: It means to inject drugs, usually by needle.
• Q: Is “shoot up” separable?
  A: Yes, you can place the object between “shoot” and “up” or after “up.”
• Q: Can “shoot up” be used without an object?
  A: Yes, when talking about something rising quickly, you can say “Prices shot up.”
• Q: Are “shoot up” and “go up” interchangeable?
  A: Often yes, but “shoot up” suggests a faster, more sudden increase.