as in to develop
to produce or bring about especially by long or repeated effort
spent years working up a period novel that was historically accurate in every detail
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of work up
Just as things became official, the Charlotte Hornets were working up a lather, running through team drills not far from where smoke billowed into the Southern California sky.
—
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 9 Jan. 2025
Back in their home town of Memphis, the band half-heartedly worked up a few new songs and fought among themselves with increasing ferocity.
—Mitch Therieau, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2024
A little goes a long way, especially for drier skin types—start with a small amount and work up from there.
—Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 23 Dec. 2024
The sibling pair worked up lyrics, and then Eilish joined the British singer for a video shoot and the project was out days later.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for work up 
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 9 Jan. 2025
Back in their home town of Memphis, the band half-heartedly worked up a few new songs and fought among themselves with increasing ferocity.
—Mitch Therieau, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2024
A little goes a long way, especially for drier skin types—start with a small amount and work up from there.
—Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 23 Dec. 2024
The sibling pair worked up lyrics, and then Eilish joined the British singer for a video shoot and the project was out days later.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for work up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work up
Verb
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Disney is also developing a live-action remake of the original for release in 2026.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
19 Jan. 2025
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The four-time Oscar nominee was well known for creating the 1990 TV series Twin Peaks, which developed into an additional feature film and a 2017 revival season.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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With that said, tiles forged from natural materials, like marble or granite, are porous and do not hold up well against steam mops’ moisture and high temps.—
Maria Conti,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2025
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Whether rekindling old friendships or forging new rivalries, these ladies are ready to make their mark.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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And this, too, has consequences: Americans have created the information climate that other countries must accept, and this allows deceptive election practices to thrive.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2025
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The petition, which has since been deleted, was created under the name Dexter Morgan.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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As is often the case in fashion, when shipments are a factor, not everything works out according to plan.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
WWD,
20 Jan. 2025
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And if things don't work out, don't adjust your goals—just adjust your steps.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near work up
Cite this Entry
“Work up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work%20up. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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