Step up - to increase

[Maryam]

Test No. incompl/advan-38 "Are You in Debt?", question 5

One solution that has been suggested to control credit is to ......... the regulations to make it more difficult to get credit in the first place.

(a) step under
(b) step up
(c) step by
(d) step across

Test No. incompl/advan-38 "Are You in Debt?", answer 5

One solution that has been suggested to control credit is to step up the regulations to make it more difficult to get credit in the first place.

Correct answer: (b) step up
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could you please. explain why did we choose the word step up in this sentence ?

[Alan]

This means increase or make more severe. It is often used with words like restriction/regulation - suggesting that more control is necessary.
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Indirect Speech