as in elegant
being strikingly neat and trim in style or appearance
a slim, spruce man in a tailor-made business suit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spruce
Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
And there is no better brand for sprucing than Breville.
—Lizzy Briskin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
The 34-mile road winds through several ecosystems from cove hardwood to northern hardwood to pine oak to spruce fir.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2025
Available in various colors, from black to blush pink patent leather, the closed toe pumps offer an adjustable buckle slingback strap and fun geometric side cut-outs that spruce your outfit up.
—Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spruce
Verb
Very few of today’s displays predate the 1990s, with some being renovated over the years to either spruce them up or change their theme.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
And there is no better brand for sprucing than Breville.
—Lizzy Briskin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
The 34-mile road winds through several ecosystems from cove hardwood to northern hardwood to pine oak to spruce fir.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2025
Available in various colors, from black to blush pink patent leather, the closed toe pumps offer an adjustable buckle slingback strap and fun geometric side cut-outs that spruce your outfit up.
—Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spruce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spruce
Adjective
-
The bottoms don’t just feel more elegant, but are a quick way to make outfits appear upscale whether they’re styled with a T-shirt and sneakers or a button-up shirt and ballet flats.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
The palate is velvety and elegant, balancing weight with restraint.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Anchoring, scarcity and choice architecture aren’t about tricking people.—
David Meade,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
-
The church hosts sure love tricking us into eating raw broccoli by serving it up in this creamy pasta salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
There is no analogous player in this squad to Grimaldo; Marc Cucurella, the man who has displaced him in the Spain team, is positionally smart but a more effective off-ball runner than on-ball playmaker.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The clients who will be best positioned are the ones making smart decisions today — not the ones reacting to a tax bill six months from now.—
Greg Raiff,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Fu also stressed that more work needs to be done to boost domestic demand, urging businesses to improve their offerings to attract consumers.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
The Sparks fell to 1-3 (tied with Seattle for last place in the Western Conference) while Toronto improved to 2-2.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Subtle stripe detailing on both the sweater and pant hems gives this knit set a cohesive, stylish edge—and a pop of color—sans sacrificing comfort.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
-
For wardrobe emergencies, try Roo’s Beach near Newquay, which specializes in stylish beach-to-bar clothing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Kelce made Swift's florals pop out with his Marni Slawn Cotton Camp Shirt, embellished with floral prints and patches from Marni's collaboration with artists Olaolu Slawn and Soldier Boyfriend.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
The gown was embellished with oversized yellow and white flower appliqués around the hips and waist and a flowing layered skirt in the same soft tones.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lakeside or beachside, this flowy poncho top and mini skirt set is a fashionable look for daytime exploration.—
Nneya Richards,
Travel + Leisure,
11 May 2026
-
Ahead, shop more of my mom’s Quince shoe picks for looking fashionable while staying comfortable.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Not all of them are worthy (at least, not at first), including natty twists on both Charlotte Lucas (Anna Fenton-Garvey) and Caroline Bingley (Tanya Reynolds, turning in a wholly wonderful performance).—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 May 2026
-
Harmon isn’t just hungry to close this out with a natty after the Horns tied for second place in the SEC regular season.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spruce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spruce. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
