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Glite Dictionary
to hike up the prices

to hike up the prices

1 4.8
To raise prices by a large amount, often suddenly
  • phrasal verb
  • /haɪk ʌp ðə ˈpraɪsɪz/
translation icon : aumentar los precios
  • If there were only one original Clarabelle (or only one Sheila the Sheep, or Charlene the Chicken, or whatever), Spring would be groaning under a Cow Monopoly, whose owners could hike up the price of meat and milk (and Sheila Cutlets, and Charlene Eggs) pretty much at will.

And now that quiet luxury is becoming more popular, brands are actually hiking up the prices of their quiet luxury items.

Examples

  • When the demand for tickets increased, concert promoters hiked up the prices significantly.

  • And now that quiet luxury is becoming more popular, brands are actually hiking up the prices of their quiet luxury items.

    Zoe Hong

  • You've got friends in the water-trucking business whose sole aim in life is to hike up the price by restricting delivery.

    Beyond Borders (2003)

  • Brands are hiking up the prices of their luxury items to meet growing demand.

  • Airlines tend to hike up the prices on flights during holiday seasons as more people travel.

Synonyms

to raise
vsto hike up the prices
∞ 2.9

To make an amount, level, or value higher

is specifically about considerable and often sudden increases in price
to spike
vsto hike up the prices
51 3.4

To rise suddenly and sharply

refers to large price rises that are often sudden rather than gradual
to drive up
vsto hike up the prices
39 3.9

To make prices rise to a higher level, often quickly

emphasizes the same sudden large change in price
to inflate
vsto hike up the prices
30 4.4

To make the amount or price of something increase

is about big price rises that often happen suddenly
to shoot up
vsto hike up the prices
25 4.1

Rise quickly to a much higher level

specifically highlights large and often sudden price increases
to bump up
vsto hike up the prices
23 3.4

To raise prices or amounts by a lot

means larger and often sudden price rises rather than small bumps
to jack up
vsto hike up the prices
  • Informal
12 5.9

To raise prices or rent suddenly by a lot

focuses on big and often sudden increases in price
to mark up
vsto hike up the prices
5 3.5

To raise the price of something so it sells for more money

concerns sizable, often sudden price increases rather than pricing for profit
to hike up
vsto hike up the prices
3 4.8

Raise prices or fees suddenly by a large amount

is the general phrase for a large, often sudden price rise

Antonyms

to drop
∞ 1.0

To fall to a lower amount or level

to lower
802 1.0

Make something go down in position, amount, or strength

Surface Forms

hike up the prices infinitive
hiked up the prices past
hiked up the prices past participle
hiking up the prices present participle
hikes up the prices third person singular

Morphology

hike + up + the + price

The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'hike' already denotes a large/sudden increase, 'up' reinforces raising, and 'prices' is literal. This verb+particle + noun composition follows common cross-linguistic patterns for expressing increases, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Hike up the prices uses the image of hike as 'to climb' and up as rising, so imagine prices climbing a steep hill or being pulled up quickly. So it means 'to raise prices a lot, often quickly'.