rub up
verb
rubbed up; rubbing up; rubs up
1
: to revive or refresh knowledge of : recall
2
: to improve the keenness of (a mental faculty)
Examples of rub up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This pentagonal structure is the part that rubs up against the C ring.
—
Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Back in 2022, Kirilloff had undergone an invasive wrist surgery, his second in two years, in which doctors shaved down a bone in order to prevent it from rubbing up against another.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Many other midlayer face fabrics start to pile after a couple months of use, but the fabric that covers the Atom has stayed intact for years, even when repeatedly rubbing up against the inside of a shell or against a pack.
—Jakob Schiller, Outside, 16 Feb. 2026
The baby tumbled around at the surface, flipping her white belly to the sky and rubbing up against her mother’s back.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rub up
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.
Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Back in 2022, Kirilloff had undergone an invasive wrist surgery, his second in two years, in which doctors shaved down a bone in order to prevent it from rubbing up against another.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Many other midlayer face fabrics start to pile after a couple months of use, but the fabric that covers the Atom has stayed intact for years, even when repeatedly rubbing up against the inside of a shell or against a pack.
—Jakob Schiller, Outside, 16 Feb. 2026
The baby tumbled around at the surface, flipping her white belly to the sky and rubbing up against her mother’s back.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rub up
Cite this Entry
“Rub up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rub%20up. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
