How to Use touch-up in a Sentence
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Dry with a microfiber cloth and use wipes or melamine sponges for quick touch-ups.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
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Even worse, touch-up was sometimes required ten years down the line.
—Shikhar Sachdev, thehustle.co, 21 Feb. 2025
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Keep them in your personal item bag for a quick touch-up mid-flight.
—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2025
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Her make-up artist appeared for a powder touch-up, and the show went on.
—Lindsey Underwood, Vanity Fair, 17 Apr. 2026
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Could it be used on dry hair for touch-ups, or can it only be applied to damp hair?
—Kat Merck, WIRED, 30 Jan. 2025
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Once your patch is dry and smooth, touch it up with paint using a small brush or paint touch-up tool.
—Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 28 June 2023
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With the right color scheme, a paint touch-up can be just the dash of whimsy your kitchen needs.
—Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 28 June 2023
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The sleek folding mirror comes complete with a stand for touch-ups on the go.
—L.a. Hubilla, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2023
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Keep one in your glove compartment for quick touch-ups before guests hop in.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 11 Apr. 2026
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There’s also a mirror in the compact, so on-the-go touch-ups are easy.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 13 Dec. 2023
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Eating to the sway of 135 miles per hour invites a few touch-ups.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 18 July 2023
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Root touch-ups are often for covering gray hair that has newly grown out.
—Dory Zayas, Parents, 25 July 2024
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Which option requires more frequent touch-ups?
—Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025
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This lip liner is a dream for those who want a soft, fresh look without the need for constant touch-ups.
—Claire Sullivan, WWD, 18 Mar. 2025
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Plus, the mini size is perfect for throwing in your bag for after work touch-ups.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2025
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Pfeiffer showed off her flawless touch-ups with a selfie taken in the back seat of a car.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 16 June 2023
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What’s the difference between a root touch-up and at-home hair color?
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 July 2024
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It’s perfectly sized to toss in my bag for quick touch-ups throughout the day or travel.
—Madeline Merinuk, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
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Grab both the travel-size and full-size versions to keep one at home and one in your handbag for touch-ups.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 24 Sep. 2024
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Pop this tiny balm in any bag—formal clutch, shoulder bag, or work tote—for touch-ups throughout the day.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2025
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This lightweight and buildable product brings a smooth touch to your skin and is perfect for touch-ups.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2024
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Here's how my makeup held up after 14 hours of sweat, sans a single touch-up.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 7 Sep. 2023
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And for quick touch-ups on dry hair, there’s a setting that goes up to 320°F.
—Siena Gagliano, Allure, 11 Mar. 2025
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After all sessions are completed, a client won’t need to come back for touch-ups for three to six years.
—Desiree Browne, ELLE, 24 Feb. 2023
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Then mix touch-up porcelain paint to match the color of the tile as closely as possible.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023
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The compact stick format is also ideal for on-the-go touch-ups of all calibers.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Allure, 1 Aug. 2024
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The knife also comes with a single-stage sharpener for quick touch-ups on the water.
—Cosmo Genova, Field & Stream, 3 May 2023
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Sprays are also convenient for dry-hair touch-ups before a curling iron or flat iron.
—Polly Blitzer, Glamour, 9 Sep. 2026
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However, some clients need a touch-up after one to two years, adds Patel.
—Kate Foster, Glamour, 2 Dec. 2024
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The set design featured glam stations, where models stopped for touch-ups during the show.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
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To top it all off, the paint throughout the home must be touched up.
—Derrick Bryson Taylor, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2023
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If all else fails, buy a small can of paint for touching up stubborn stains.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
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Use a small paintbrush to touch up any spots where the paint dripped or bled through the stencil.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Aug. 2021
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And each of the copper ledges got touched up and refurbished.
—Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2024
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Gold jewelry is durable and long-lasting but needs to be touched up over the years.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
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The finish can take a beating, so take time every few months to touch up here and there.
—Kenzi Wilbur, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2024
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When the paint is dry, use a small detail brush to touch up any spots or edges as necessary.
—Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2026
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Mai’s songwriting could still use some touching up.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
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But police said the substance is believed to have been line paint that is used on the field to touch up bases.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 28 Apr. 2022
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This may also save you the trouble of having to touch up the paint on your baseboards.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2025
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Then, blow-dry with a round brush and touch up small sections with a one-inch-barrel curling iron.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026
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If needed, touch up the edges with the existing wall color for a crisp, clean line.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
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Resist the temptation to go back to touch up bare spots; leave those for the second coat.
—Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2022
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Then, about two weeks ago Cunningham touched up the regrowth.
—Andrea Lavinthal, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2023
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Bences and three other performers change clothes, put on wigs and touch up their makeup.
—Dallas News, 5 Dec. 2022
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If necessary, touch up any uneven spots with a small paintbrush.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Aug. 2022
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Japonesque's Brow Razor, which is very small and perfect for a quick touch up.
—Lauren Tappan, Town & Country, 3 Aug. 2022
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The bathrooms even have on-hand makeup artists ready to touch up your lipstick or refresh your face.
—Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 12 May 2022
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Her roots are touched up, and her gaze, now pointed at the camera, seems to relish being watched.
—Kim Hew-Low, New York Times, 16 May 2024
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No one has ever come to me and said their artwork was peeling or chipping and asked me to do a touch up.
—Megan Leonhardt, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2023
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No one was there to touch up their makeup, fix their hair, move a light, adjust their mic or straighten their wardrobe.
—Nancy Meyers, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2020
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Install more screws to hold the posts to the 4 x 4s, then fill the holes over the screw heads and touch up the paint.
—Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 15 May 2021
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Volunteers painted the daughters’ nails and touched up their hair.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
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Mirrored walls offered guests the perfect excuse to snap a quick selfie or touch up their lip gloss.
—Simone Cook, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
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Beauty-wise, Lopez pulled her brunette hair back into a tight, high bun and touched up her lips in a glossy pink hue.
—Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 July 2023
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After everything is cured, take the nail file to touch up any areas that look jagged from trimming.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 30 June 2025
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Keeping the walls white makes the room feel brighter and allows the couple to easily touch up any scuffs.
—Catherine Hong, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2023
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Make repairs and clean and touch up any rusted areas with a fresh coat of rust-resistant paint.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 10 Feb. 2026
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Chicago stops to touch up her aunt's lips one more time before finishing her off with some face powder.
—Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2022
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Centennial touched up Amador for four unearned runs in the fifth.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2024
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'touch-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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