1
as in to dress
to put on one's best or formal clothes
we always like to dress up when going to parties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to disguise
to change the dress or looks of so as to conceal true identity
the war was a fiasco that the administration tried to dress up as a triumph
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in to clothe
to outfit with clothes and especially fine or special clothes
the girls were dressed up in skirts or dresses, but the boys were wearing jeans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dress up
Details like eyelash fringing, subtle embroidery, and embossed velvet designs are an easy way to dress up a mundane sectional or lackluster white couch.
—
Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Jan. 2026
This isn't the first time the Princess of Wales has bested her husband while dressed up.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
The 109th edition of Pitti Uomo in Florence, Italy was dressed up in plaid.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Jan. 2026
The beauty maven dressed up as her perfume bottle, wearing nothing but shiny red latex in a sultry photoshoot.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dress up
Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Jan. 2026
This isn't the first time the Princess of Wales has bested her husband while dressed up.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
The 109th edition of Pitti Uomo in Florence, Italy was dressed up in plaid.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Jan. 2026
The beauty maven dressed up as her perfume bottle, wearing nothing but shiny red latex in a sultry photoshoot.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dress up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress up
Verb
-
The men – all white males dressed casually in sweatshirts and jackets -- were eating lunch at Clancey’s Deli when one of them got an alert on an anti-Ice Signal chat telling members that plainclothes agents were at the restaurant, Alpha News reported.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Bronny was the last Laker out of the arena, stopping to take dozens of photos with family members dressed in purple and gold Lakers jerseys.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This wooden armoire makes a statement in any room while expertly disguising so much additional storage space.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The cameras were allegedly disguised as a phone charger and an alarm clock.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Archery Summit 2023 Chardonnay has aromas of Anjou pear, citrus blossom, and mandarin zest with balanced acidity and flavors of honeydew and cantaloup melons, candied orange peel, and brown baking spices.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
2 Jan. 2026
-
As for food, Wilson recommends collard greens, sautéed kale, cabbage and candied yams as other great side pairings for your mac.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The woman is fully clothed in all three photos and her face is blacked out.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The theme continues in the restaurant and its adjacent terrace, also clad in plants and furnished with cozy banquettes.—
Gisela Williams,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Looking to doll up your collarbones instead?—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The store had to be closed for several days while volunteers set the dolls up for display, and only 25 shoppers could be allowed in at a time for viewing because of the dolls’ values.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Galen concocted medicines that seem strange to modern ears, such as treating ailments like inflammation with feces sprinkled with thyme to mask the odor.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Critics call the setup deceptive, saying preset amounts, fine print and urgency push quick donations that mask the uneven split.—
Joseph Morton,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gallagher spent the first week of December sprucing it up, artfully decorating Christmas trees and doing her best to spread holiday cheer to the house's 150 families.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
13 Dec. 2025
-
Very few of today’s displays predate the 1990s, with some being renovated over the years to either spruce them up or change their theme.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The tower is designed to resemble a tree in an effort to camouflage the antennas and reduce its visual impact.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But the dazzling tech was not enough to camouflage how blah the merchandise was.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dress up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress%20up. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
