: an intensive diagnostic study especially for medical purposes
: an unintended mark on a printed sheet caused by the rising of spacing material
worked up; working up; works up
1
: to stir up : rouse
2
: to produce by mental or physical work
worked up a comedy act
worked up a sweat in the gym
: to rise gradually in intensity or emotional tone
Examples of workup in a Sentence
Verb
spent years working up a period novel that was historically accurate in every detail
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Berg, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
But a full medical workup wasn’t completed until shortly before Stevenson’s tryouts last year, when an MRI revealed that surgery was needed.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
But around 1,700 of those 5,800 troops went absent without leave from the brigade at some point during its nine-month work-up.
—David Axe, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Hope is getting dirty, working up a sweat and seeing action.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for workup
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Noun
Fatigue and anemia may prompt an internal medicine workup.
—Sarah Berg, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
But a full medical workup wasn’t completed until shortly before Stevenson’s tryouts last year, when an MRI revealed that surgery was needed.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
It should be used as part of a broader diagnostic work-up that includes clinical evaluation and possibly additional imaging.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
But around 1,700 of those 5,800 troops went absent without leave from the brigade at some point during its nine-month work-up.
—David Axe, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
The touching moment was shared on the TikTok account @rosiethestaffygirl, capturing the instant Rosie—a Staffordshire bull terrier rescue—worked up the nerve to confront something that had clearly been troubling her.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Hope is getting dirty, working up a sweat and seeing action.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for workup
Cite this Entry
“Workup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workup. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
workup
1 of 2 noun
work·up
ˈwər-ˌkəp 
: an intensive diagnostic study
a gastrointestinal workup
a psychiatric workup
work up
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to perform a diagnostic workup upon
work up a patient
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