do up

verb

did up; done up; doing up; does up

transitive verb

1
: fasten
do up the buttons of a shirt
… an elderly lady with her jacket done up tightly against the wind …Sue Lloyd-Roberts
2
a
: to deck (someone) out : clothe
The waitstaff was done up in western attire.
b
: to furnish (something) with something ornamental : decorate
She always does up the house for the holidays.
3
: to prepare (something) for wear or use (as by cleaning or repairing)
"… I'll make the pies and lady fingers tomorrow and do up my white muslin dress. …"Lucy Maud Montgomery
4
a
: to wrap (something) up
do up a package
b
: to prepare so as to preserve for later use can entry 2, put up
I did up a bushel of tomatoes.
5
: exhaust, wear out
This contact with righteousness has about done me up!Sinclair Lewis

Examples of do up in a Sentence

the whole house had been done up for Halloween on Wild West Day some of the women came to the office done up as showgirls, while the men were mostly outlaws
Recent Examples on the Web Think of it this way: When a Californian shows up at a vote center and casts a ballot in person, as was once commonplace, all the verification is done up front at the vote center. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 There are some traces of black and red—like on the dashboard, gear shifter, and seat belt buckle—but the vehicle’s leather seats and upholstery are all done up in the lighter shade. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024 Atmosphere is a plus in this massive mansion, done up in green marble and backlit mirrors. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024 And since best often meant biggest, the result was the invention, some decades ago now, of the super-chalet—an Alpine escape with all the gusto of an oil tycoon’s Dallas manor but done up in knotty pine. Tom Weijand, Robb Report, 15 Feb. 2024 This year, Married to the Mob has returned to the zeitgeist — as did The Sopranos and Goodfellas — when TikTok users started sharing videos of themselves done up in the mob wife aesthetic, which includes fur coats, animal prints and gaudy jewelry. Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Feb. 2024 The interior, meanwhile, is done up in black leather and features air-conditioning. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 23 Jan. 2024 The former Ozark star was photographed seated on stage next to the Grammy winner — bearing almost uncanny resemblance with both of their hair done up in blond curls. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 15 Dec. 2023 If presented with a pre-2015 photo of someone all done up, anyone even vaguely in tune with beauty trends could likely identify which decade the image was from — because trends once lasted five, 10, even 20 years. Kara McGrath, Allure, 1 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'do up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of do up was in 1666

Dictionary Entries Near do up

Cite this Entry

“Do up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/do%20up. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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