The term 'steps up' can be defined by the following crossword solutions: RUNGS (5 letters), hastens (7 letters), REVS (4 letters), STAIRCASE (9 letters), ESCALATES (9 letters), and stairway (8 letters). RUNGS refer to the horizontal bars of a ladder, while hastens is an action that speeds up something. REVS is short for revolutions, which is a measure of rotational speed. A STAIRCASE is a set of steps leading from one floor to another, and ESCALATES means to increase in intensity or magnitude. Finally, a stairway is a set of stairs connecting two floors.