as in to act up
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
high-spirited cousins who cut up at every family gathering
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in carouser
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cut up
Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Such a potato is cut up into sections, each having a sprout or two.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Martinez was looking at cutups Monday morning of 6-6, 20-year-old right-hander Travis Sykora, Washington’s third-round pick in 2023, who’s coming on, uh, quickly.
—David Aldridge, The Athletic, 27 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cut up
Verb
Her voice is intimate and resonant, whether cut up into indistinct background flurries or pushed to the front of the mix.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Such a potato is cut up into sections, each having a sprout or two.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
There is a video cutup that has frequented social media over the last year featuring all of Edwards’ missed shots at the end of close games.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Martinez was looking at cutups Monday morning of 6-6, 20-year-old right-hander Travis Sykora, Washington’s third-round pick in 2023, who’s coming on, uh, quickly.
—David Aldridge, The Athletic, 27 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cut up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut up
Verb
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Excess dust may also cause your allergies to act up.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
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Koutouvides transitioned to life after football, found success in real estate development throughout Connecticut, but the pain of losing the Super Bowl twinges and acts up like an old joint injury.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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By the time deputies made their way down the long driveway off Lost Creek Road to the house Tony once shared with his father, the onetime jokester and basketball player had lost all sense of reality.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
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Sam, meanwhile, was a jokester much of the time but took his pilot training seriously.—
Emma Hurt,
AJC.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Take William Shakespeare, who is often portrayed as a carouser, downing pints while exchanging barbs with his fellow writers, cheating on his wife with both men and women, passionately engaging his quill to reimagine the very nature of the human being.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Students showed off their animals on Saturday at the Bastrop Area Livestock Show on Saturday at the Ken Estepp Show Barn in Bastrop.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
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After all, these pants are the best silhouette to show off your footwear.—
Lina-Marie Baatz,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The couple fought about money, household chores, and Anton's alleged reputation as a party animal.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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The legendary nightlife scene in Belgrade, Serbia, is the recommendation for party animals in Europe.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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But Andrew continued to live at the home and was often seen riding his horse around Windsor Great Park and photographed waving to crowds.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Hear comedians workshop their jokes Hear some jokes-in-progress from Cincinnati's local talent.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
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Include the name of the band, solo artist or comedian, and the year of their performance.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
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Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cut up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut%20up. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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