Raise the RPMs is a term used in the automotive industry to describe the process of increasing the revolutions per minute (RPM) of an engine. The term REV, which is the three letter solution to this crossword, is an abbreviation for revolution, and is used to refer to the number of times an engine's crankshaft rotates in one minute. Increasing the RPMs of an engine can improve its performance, and is often done when a vehicle is being driven at higher speeds.