: a conditioning exercise performed from a supine position by raising the torso to a sitting position and returning to the original position without using the arms or lifting the feet
sat up; sitting up; sits up
1
a
: to rise from a lying to a sitting position
b
: to sit with the back erect
2
: to show interest, alertness, or surprise
sit up and take notice
3
: to stay up after the usual time for going to bed
Examples of sit-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Korin Miller, Women's Health, 7 Sep. 2023
For sit-ups, male officers must do 37 in one minute and female officers 31.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2023
Sweating from push-ups, sit-ups and using a rowing machine is one thing, but a session at Hotworx is something else again.
—Linda Gandee, cleveland, 25 July 2023
Keeping up with a consistent weight lifting routine can be tough, but 15 minutes of crunches, planks, sit-ups, and push-ups can be transformational.
—Brian Metzler, Outside Online, 3 Apr. 2023
Here are 4 things to know and how to treat them If your abdominal muscles are not strong enough to do good sit-ups, begin with crunches (partial sit-ups).
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 25 May 2023
Oprea and Kelsea do Bosu ball throws (or crunches on a Bosu ball while tossing a weighted ball to a partner), sit-up claps, side planks, and elbow planks.
—Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 3 June 2023
Think sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, crunches or squats, as examples.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 27 May 2023
In the clip, the actress completes her full-body workout, which featured weight lifting, mountain climbers, push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, and more before finishing with some stretches.
—Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 17 May 2023
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023
The village of concrete and thatched roof dwellings sits up on a dune, so people there can catch cooling breezes in the summer.
—Annie Gowen, Niko Kommenda and Saiyna Bashir, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2023
Keep eyes on weight, press into right arm, and sit up, coming onto right forearm.
—Women's Health, 18 Aug. 2023
The passing lane down the line was open, and the ball sat up for a clean strike.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
Somebody who makes the ladies sit up and take notice.
—Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 6 Sep. 2023
Delpit, who missed his entire rookie season with a ruptured Achilles, lay on his back in pain and then sat up on the field after the collision as trainers rushed out to tend to him.
—cleveland, 23 Aug. 2023
It’s emphasized when male leadership sits up on the stand, perusing and lording over their congregation while their wives tend to small children in the pews.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023
So Staples sat up all night with the tiny gorilla sleeping on his chest.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 25 Aug. 2023
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Noun
The moves included throwing punches while doing sit-ups, sparring at a fierce pace, dodging punches, and kicking her sparring partner in the abs.
—Korin Miller, Women's Health, 7 Sep. 2023
For sit-ups, male officers must do 37 in one minute and female officers 31.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2023
Sweating from push-ups, sit-ups and using a rowing machine is one thing, but a session at Hotworx is something else again.
—Linda Gandee, cleveland, 25 July 2023
Keeping up with a consistent weight lifting routine can be tough, but 15 minutes of crunches, planks, sit-ups, and push-ups can be transformational.
—Brian Metzler, Outside Online, 3 Apr. 2023
Here are 4 things to know and how to treat them If your abdominal muscles are not strong enough to do good sit-ups, begin with crunches (partial sit-ups).
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 25 May 2023
Oprea and Kelsea do Bosu ball throws (or crunches on a Bosu ball while tossing a weighted ball to a partner), sit-up claps, side planks, and elbow planks.
—Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 3 June 2023
Think sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, crunches or squats, as examples.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 27 May 2023
In the clip, the actress completes her full-body workout, which featured weight lifting, mountain climbers, push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, and more before finishing with some stretches.
—Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 17 May 2023
Verb
Liv’s plan is pushed off course, and the resulting action and violence are shocking enough to make the viewer sit up just a bit straighter.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023
The village of concrete and thatched roof dwellings sits up on a dune, so people there can catch cooling breezes in the summer.
—Annie Gowen, Niko Kommenda and Saiyna Bashir, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2023
Keep eyes on weight, press into right arm, and sit up, coming onto right forearm.
—Women's Health, 18 Aug. 2023
The passing lane down the line was open, and the ball sat up for a clean strike.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
Somebody who makes the ladies sit up and take notice.
—Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 6 Sep. 2023
Delpit, who missed his entire rookie season with a ruptured Achilles, lay on his back in pain and then sat up on the field after the collision as trainers rushed out to tend to him.
—cleveland, 23 Aug. 2023
It’s emphasized when male leadership sits up on the stand, perusing and lording over their congregation while their wives tend to small children in the pews.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023
So Staples sat up all night with the tiny gorilla sleeping on his chest.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 25 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sit-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
Dictionary Entries Near sit-up
Cite this Entry
“Sit-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit-up. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
sit-up
nounˈsit-ˌəp
: an exercise done by lying on the back and rising up to a sitting position by bending forward at the waist without lifting the feet and returning to the original position
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