Amp (up)

As a detective, the first thing I thought of when I saw the crossword clue “Amp (up)” was electricity. ‘Amp’ is short for ampere, which is a unit of measurement for electric current. So, the clue was asking for a word that meant to ‘amp up’ or increase electric current. This led me to think of other electrical terms that could fit, such as ‘volt’, ‘watt’, or ‘ohm’, but these didn’t quite fit the clue.

Then, I realized that ‘amp’ could also be short for ‘amplify’, which means to increase the volume or intensity of something. This opened up a whole new set of possibilities. I considered words like ‘boost’, ‘enlarge’, and ‘enhance’, but again they didn’t fit the exact phrasing of the clue.

Finally, the solution dawned on me. The word that fit the bill was ‘REV‘, short for rev up, which means to increase the speed or intensity of something. This word also has a connection to electricity, as it can refer to the revolutions per minute of an electric motor.

Overall, my thought process involved considering multiple possible meanings of the clue and brainstorming related words until I found one that fit perfectly. It’s a satisfying feeling, like cracking a challenging case as a detective.