: 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
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Designed to blend Eastern philosophies with Western diagnostic tools, PraMa offers a full-body workup that includes everything from Ayurvedic pulse readings and posture tests to high-tech biomarker scans and mineral level checks.
—Peter J. Frank, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2025
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
Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
To this day, working up a mess of beans soothes and centers me.
—Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for workup
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Noun
Ask him to get a full workup to put your mind at ease.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Designed to blend Eastern philosophies with Western diagnostic tools, PraMa offers a full-body workup that includes everything from Ayurvedic pulse readings and posture tests to high-tech biomarker scans and mineral level checks.
—Peter J. Frank, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2025
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 Raiders let Jeanty work up a sweat in the second preseason game against the 49ers (and slightly less of a sweat in the third game versus Arizona), and the 2024 Heisman runner-up delivered.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
To this day, working up a mess of beans soothes and centers me.
—Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
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 Oct. 2025.
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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