Titivate, spruce, smarten, and spiff all mean "to make a person or thing neater or more attractive." Titivate often refers to making small additions or alterations in attire ("titivate the costume with sequins and other accessories"), but it can also be used figuratively (as in "titivating the script for Broadway"). Spruce up is sometimes used for cosmetic changes or renovations that give the appearance of newness ("spruce up the house with new shutters and fresh paint before trying to sell it"). Smarten up and spiff up both mean to improve in appearance often by making more neat or stylish ("the tailor smartened up the suit with minor alterations"; "he needed some time to spiff himself up for the party"). The origins of titivate are uncertain, but it may have been formed from the English words tidy and renovate.
Examples of spiff in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As the host of monthly Detroit-style pizza pop-ups as well as a half-dozen woodfired pizza nights each summer (each with a different menu), Schroeder often daydreams about how to spiff up his slices.—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2025 With some women’s clothing also showing increases, will skilled tailors who can restyle and spiff up used dresses, tops and pants be able to raise rates without losing customers?—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 20 July 2025 More common now are those aftermarket shops that spiff up already luxurious cars, changing normal doors for gullwing versions, adding flaring fenders and bulging wheel arches, and plastering the interior in any hue of leather one might imagine.—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025 The new owners earmarked $2 million out of a $7 million initial renovation spend to spiff up the shoreline-hugging Ocean Point Golf Course.—Mike Dojc, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for spiff
Share