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

ˈbrəsh-ˌəp 

noun

Examples of brush up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Today, entrants must brush up on the formal definitions of substance use disorders as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and familiarize themselves with classification criteria specified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026

According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, its leaves, fruits, and roots are all highly toxic whether eaten or just brushed up against if there's an open wound or abrasion. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026

Kate Middleton—Catherine, Princess of Wales—has been brushing up on her own grasp of the Celtic language just in time for the patron saint’s day. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2026

Need to brush up on the tangled web of relationships before watching Season 4? —Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for brush up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

brush up

verb

: to refresh one's memory, skill, or knowledge

brush up on your Spanish