// resume power verbs

Another word for "increased" on a resume

"Increased" sounds like a result, so candidates use it everywhere — but without a specific action verb it reads as a passive observation rather than a deliberate achievement. Substituting a verb that names what you did to drive the increase — and keeping the metric — turns a vague claim into compelling evidence of skill.

Why "increased" weakens your resume

When a bullet starts with "Increased," recruiters immediately wonder: what did you actually do to make that happen? Without naming the lever you pulled, the claim is unverifiable and forgettable. Action verbs like "Grew," "Accelerated," or "Drove" tell the story of what you did; "Increased" just states where the metric went. ATS keyword filters also favor active process verbs over passive result words. Lead with your action, follow with the number.

20 stronger words for "increased"

Grew

for scaling revenue, user base, team size, or market share — natural and direct

Accelerated

for speeding up growth, throughput, or adoption

Expanded

for broadening scope — markets entered, products launched, accounts added

Drove

for actively pushing a metric upward through your direct actions

Boosted

for measurable uplifts in engagement, conversion, or performance

Amplified

for magnifying an existing signal — reach, impact, or awareness

Raised

for lifting a standard, price point, or benchmark level

Maximized

for pushing output or revenue toward its practical ceiling

Generated

for producing revenue, leads, or savings from a specific action

Surpassed

when results exceeded a target or benchmark — pairs naturally with a percentage over goal

Doubled

when output or a metric specifically grew by 2x — precise and credible

Tripled

when you achieved 3x growth on a measurable metric

Scaled

for growing a system, team, or product to handle materially more volume

Extended

for lengthening reach, duration, or coverage of a program or service

Elevated

for raising a quality or performance standard rather than a raw quantity

Strengthened

for making a relationship, pipeline, or metric more durable or reliable

Propelled

for giving a project or metric significant forward momentum — strong in sales contexts

Multiplied

for achieving growth that was a multiple of the baseline

Outperformed

when your results beat a peer benchmark, prior-period target, or industry average

Achieved

to lead with the milestone itself when the how is already clear from context

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Before / after: bullets that drop "increased"

  • Increased sales revenue.

    ✍️ Drove $1.8 M in new revenue by opening 3 regional accounts and expanding the existing enterprise book by 22%.

  • Increased website traffic.

    ✍️ Grew organic traffic by 140% in 12 months by publishing a content cluster strategy targeting 60 long-tail keywords.

  • Increased team productivity.

    ✍️ Accelerated sprint velocity by 35% after introducing async stand-ups and reducing recurring meeting load by 6 hours per week.

Frequently asked questions

Is "increased" a good word for a resume?

"Increased" is better than many vague verbs because it implies a result, but it is still weak on its own — it omits the action you took to cause the increase. Lead with the action verb that names what you did ("Grew," "Drove," "Expanded"), then state the metric and magnitude.

What can I say instead of "increased" on a resume?

Choose a verb that names your lever: "Grew" for organic growth, "Drove" for revenue or adoption you actively pushed, "Expanded" for geographic or product scope, "Generated" for leads or savings you produced, "Doubled" or "Tripled" when you achieved an exact multiple — then always include the number.

Does it matter which verb I choose as long as I include a number?

Numbers are essential, but the verb still signals skill and context. A precise verb also improves ATS keyword matching. You can verify how your resume's language holds up with a free in-browser check at atsgrader.com — your file never leaves your device, and no account is required.

Keep improving your resume

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