"You'd better shut up"
"Before you go home for the day, don't forget to clean up"
"I'll be with you as soon as I finish up"
"Hang up the damn telephone"
"When I get in town I'll look you up"
You better straighten your ass up, young man"
"That bastard always messes things up"
"Last night I was really f'ed up"
This really bothers me.
This is actually a pretty interesting question. So I looked at the literal definition of the word "up" and in a Webster's Dictionary I found many (many) definitions. Most of the defintions obviously had to do with the direction "up" and moving away from the center of the earth, getting into an "upright" position and etc. Basically everything that you would expect and associate with the word "up".
However, there a few different definitions that may help answer your question. These are all legit definitions, taken straight out of Webster's Dictionary. However, when it came to using the word "up" in a sentence, I created some special ones of my own, rather than using Webster's sentences. Just doing my best to help out around here.
up \'ep\ adv
can mean any of the following:
in or into a state of greater intensity or excitment (I sexed up your momma)
in a continual sequence (I teabaged her from 8:00 o'clock up to the time I left)
into existence, evidence, prominence, or prevalence (I put up a woodrow that would have made your daddy proud)
into consideration or attention (And now I even brought up sex for discussion with your grandma)
so as to arrive or approach (So I will be coming up her street next)
into possession or custody (I am looking to take up ownership of that funabg next)