touch-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈtəch-ˌəp 

: an act or instance of touching up

touch up

2 of 2

verb

touched up; touching up; touches up

transitive verb

1

: to improve or perfect by small additional strokes or alterations : fix the minor and usually visible defects or damages of

2

: to stimulate by or as if by a flick of a whip

Examples of touch-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Let your darker roots grow in to offset the expensive costs of regular touch-ups. — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026

This $7 bottle is also small enough to toss in your toiletry bag for quick touch-ups throughout your trip. — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2026

Verb

The restoration also accounted for previous errors made by past experts who had touched up the painting, fixing, for example, pieces of the painting depicting the figure’s mouth and chin, which had been set in the wrong place. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

That cultural moment, immortalized on screens and magazine pages across the world, took on greater significance just weeks later, when COVID-19 prevented women everywhere from getting their roots touched up. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1733, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for touch-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

touch-up

1 of 2 noun

ˈtəch-ˌəp

: an act or instance of touching up

touch up

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)təch-ˈəp

: to improve by or as if by small changes : fix the little imperfections of