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

Enter French blending, a color technique that’s gaining popularity for its ability to soften gray regrowth while reducing the need for frequent salon touch-ups. — Colleen Sullivan, InStyle, 16 July 2026

Keep some micellar water handy for final touch-ups and fixing any stray bits of product. — Dominic Cadogan, Glamour, 13 July 2026

Verb

Odenkirk and his kids wrote these poems at bedtime every night, and now, many years later, they’ve been touched up for your enjoyment. — Toby Rose, Parents, 30 June 2026

Yoane Wissa providing clinical touches up front, in contrast to his Premier League form with Newcastle United in 2025-26. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 30 June 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