1
as in to dress
to put on one's best or formal clothes
we always like to dress up when going to parties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to disguise
to change the dress or looks of so as to conceal true identity
the war was a fiasco that the administration tried to dress up as a triumph
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in to clothe
to outfit with clothes and especially fine or special clothes
the girls were dressed up in skirts or dresses, but the boys were wearing jeans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dress up
On September 27, the Goop founder got all dressed up for her birthday festivities in Portofino, Italy.
—
Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
This year, Spirit Halloween has options for dressing up like the unlikely besties, with costumes from both their Shiz days and post-graduation lives.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Indeed, much like last year, apparently dressing up on her own and trick-or-treating with her friends is not enough.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 4 Oct. 2025
Plenty of adults also embrace dressing up in Halloween costumes.
—Melina Khan, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress up
Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
This year, Spirit Halloween has options for dressing up like the unlikely besties, with costumes from both their Shiz days and post-graduation lives.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Indeed, much like last year, apparently dressing up on her own and trick-or-treating with her friends is not enough.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 4 Oct. 2025
Plenty of adults also embrace dressing up in Halloween costumes.
—Melina Khan, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress up
Verb
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Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, and dress in denim and cowboy boots.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
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Duane dragged the deer out of a band of alders and into a large grassy meadow so that nothing could sneak up unseen during the field-dressing process.—
Marguerite Reiss,
Outdoor Life,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The polycarbonate shell is designed with impact-absorbing flexibility, while the ridged exterior helps disguise any surface scratches.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Oct. 2025
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According to investigators, the occupants were seeking to enter the country to find work and had set sail from Weihai, Shandong Province, disguising themselves as anglers with fishing rods.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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We were not provided a sample to try yet, but the official tasting notes describe sweet cinnamon toast, fruit nougat, and candied nuts on the nose.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
2 Oct. 2025
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The Sweet & Savory version comes with a garlic and black pepper almonds, candied pecans, and a mixed nut blend.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Dillane, clothed in an Adidas track suit, smokes a cigarette.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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In the months that followed, the brewery has become a place where guests clad in blue and orange jerseys go to celebrate a Detroit Lions or Tigers game over creamy Honey Oat Stouts.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Looking to doll up your collarbones instead?—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
7 Oct. 2025
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The store had to be closed for several days while volunteers set the dolls up for display, and only 25 shoppers could be allowed in at a time for viewing because of the dolls’ values.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Unfortunately, adoption metrics often mask the deeper reality that people may know how to use the tool but don’t know when or why to use it effectively.—
Christopher Lind,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
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In their 11 matches in all competitions, Arne Slot’s side have scored eight goals in the 83rd minute or later, with those late strikes keeping results on track but masking defensive deficiencies and a lack of coherence, at times, in attack.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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Today’s Amazon deals are all about sprucing things up: your desktop setup, your tablet experience, and your audio at home or the beach.—
Shubham Yewale,
PCMAG,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Going out with friends often meant spending long minutes in front of the mirror, trying to camouflage thinning areas with hair wax.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
8 Oct. 2025
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In their nine years working together, the decorators have developed their own sleight of hand, cleverly camouflaging pragmatic choices as strictly aesthetic ones.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dress up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress%20up. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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