work up

verb

worked up; working up; works up

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to rise gradually in intensity or emotional tone

Synonyms of work up

• develop
• forge
• create
• grind (out)
• work out
• carve (out)

Examples of work up in a Sentence

spent years working up a period novel that was historically accurate in every detail

Recent Examples on the Web

The other two are still working up to it, but the team isn't going anywhere. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026

Talent deals Keeso, who has a multi-year deal with Bell, is working up Cats in the Plateau, a six-part comedy about two garbage men in Montréal, who start a gang. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 4 June 2026

Starting from bottom of bowl and working up, mix with your hands (like tossing a salad) until mixture starts to look dry again. —Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 June 2026

The victim was told to work up to 20 hours a day, seven days a week. —Tim Fang, CBS News, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for work up

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

Kids Definition

work up

verb

1

: to stir up

worked up support for the project

2

: to produce by mental or physical work

worked up a sweat at the gym

Medical 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

ˌwər-ˈkəp, ˈwər- 

: to perform a diagnostic workup upon

work up a patient