rack up points

Meanings

1. 1phrasephrasal verbinformal

   To accumulate or gain a large number of points, especially in a game, sport, or reward scheme.

   Grammar: Transitive; the object 'points' usually comes after 'up'. Can be used in the passive: points were racked up.

   Patterns

   • rack up points
   • rack points up
   • rack up points in something

   The team racked up points quickly in the first half.

   You can rack up points every time you shop at the store.

   She racked up points by answering all the quiz questions correctly.

2. 2phrasephrasal verbinformal

   To achieve a high score or total, often by steady effort.

   Grammar: Often used with 'by' to explain how the points were gained.

   Patterns

   • rack up points by doing something
   • rack up a lot of points

   He racked up points by playing every day for a month.

   The company rewards customers who rack up points with free gifts.

Common combinations

rack up points quickly

The team racked up points quickly in the second half.

rack up points on your card

You can rack up points on your card with every purchase.

rack up a lot of points

She racked up a lot of points in the loyalty program.

Synonyms and how they differ

accumulate points

More formal and neutral; 'rack up points' is more informal and suggests doing it quickly or in large numbers.

score points

Often means to gain points in a game or to gain an advantage in an argument; 'rack up points' focuses on the total number gained over time.

Commonly confused: rack up points or rack up?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “rack up points”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words