From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpump something/somebody ↔ up phrasal verb1 TTAIRto fill a tyre, airbed etc with air until it is full SYN inflate2 INCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT informal to increase the value, amount, or level of something The US was able to pump up exports. Come on, pump up the volume (=play music louder)!3 MPto increase someone’s excitement, interest etc → pump→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
pump up• And since serotonin levels drop just before your period, your body will look for ways to pump it back up.• Somewhere in her mind she registered the fact it was still pumping.• She pumped him up a dozen ways.• I was pumping him up and he responded.• He checked that the breech was empty of bullets, then pumped the rifle up and pulled the trigger.• Are the changes enough to transform more non-believers into Corvette buyers and pump sales back up, as Chevrolet hopes?• You sort of want a leader to walk around and pump you up or shoot you down.• I got Tam to pump them up while Richie dragged out the carpets and hung them on a line to dry. 