spark up

English

Verb

spark up (third-person singular simple present sparks up, present participle sparking up, simple past and past participle sparked up)

1. (transitive) to rekindle
2. (transitive) to make more exotic or fun
3. (intransitive) To light up; light a cigarette or start smoking a pipe, bong, etc.
4. (transitive) To initiate (a conversation, debate etc.)
5. (informal, of a railway) To provide electrification.
   • 2021 April 7, Christian Wolmar, “Electrification is a given... but comfort matters as well”, in RAIL, number 928, page 47:

     Again, to go back to the history of British Railways, there were moves to introduce electrification more widely when the West Coast Main Line was sparked up in the 1960s, but this was rejected by dyed-in-the-wool old regional railway managers who did not like the hassle of putting up the wires.

Synonyms

• (make more exotic or fun): sex up; spice up
• (light a cigarette): light up
• (initiate): strike up