// 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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Check my resume free →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
- What an ATS is and how it works
- The ATS-friendly resume template
- How ATS keyword matching works
- The ATS-friendly resume format
- Why resumes get rejected by ATS
- Free ATS checker with no signup
Weak verbs dragging your bullets down? Swap them using stronger resume action verbs.
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