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
These florals rub up against embroidered wall coverings, striped curtains and flashes of marble.
—
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
On the second take, Russell’s bossy tone rubbed up nicely against the neediness of the moment.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Her harness also rubbed up against her fur from being on too long.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Or the earth’s great tectonic plates can rub up against each other and build pressure, more pressure, more pressure, until—boom!—an earthquake happens.
—Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rub up
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Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
On the second take, Russell’s bossy tone rubbed up nicely against the neediness of the moment.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Her harness also rubbed up against her fur from being on too long.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Or the earth’s great tectonic plates can rub up against each other and build pressure, more pressure, more pressure, until—boom!—an earthquake happens.
—Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 July 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 21 Oct. 2025.
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