as in to study
to use the mind to acquire knowledge
I suggest you bone up a bit on torts before the next attempt at the bar exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bone (up)
Verb
-
But there were always more pressing things to do than attend lectures or study rare manuscripts in the Radcliffe Camera, the beautiful circular reading room that’s the centerpiece of the Bodleian Library.—
Richard Godwin,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026 -
The Opening Ceremony for the Milan Olympics is not until Friday, but for seasonal fans wanting to study up on who’s going for gold, hours of documentary programing in skiing, ice dancing and other sports are now available as streamers try to take a piece of the winter sports action from NBC.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The president then typed a long list of his own purported achievements and alleged that a snide remark Maher made about him on Friday was the result of a joke going over the veteran comic’s head.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
At 6-foot-1, Richardson is the only participant under 6-foot-6, with smaller guards often going over well with the live crowd.—
Scott Phillips,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bone (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bone%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
