The term 'stepped up' can be defined as increasing in intensity or magnitude. This can be seen in the three crossword solutions: 'iniosified' (10 letters), 'ramped' (6 letters) and 'ESCALATED' (9 letters). Iniosified means to increase gradually, ramped means to increase rapidly, and ESCALATED means to increase sharply. All three words describe an increase in intensity or magnitude, which is the definition of the term 'stepped up'.