brush up

verb

brushed up; brushing up; brushes up

transitive verb

1
: to improve or polish as if by brushing
2
: to renew one's skill in
brush up your Spanish

intransitive verb

: to refresh one's memory : renew one's skill
brush up on math
brushup noun

Examples of brush up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Her books occupy the borderlands of realism and fable, where the plausible brushes up against the impossible, and the laws of narrative logic are bent just enough to let in the surreal. Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025 But Kupiansk is once again brushing up against the front lines. Ellie Cook john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025 For example, if a new hire would benefit from brushing up on particular skills, an agent can offer personalized learning resources. Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 Pressings of deep pink at the lips and cheeks and brushed up brows are all one needs to emulate this fashion favorite. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brush up

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brush up was circa 1600

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brush up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brush%20up. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

brush up

verb
: to refresh one's memory, skill, or knowledge
brush up on your Spanish

More from Merriam-Webster on brush up

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