1
as in dresses
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 disguises
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
as in spruces
to make more desirable
dressed up the house with new windows and a paint job before putting it on the market
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in clothes
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
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 dresses up
The stylish silhouette instantly dresses up everything from jeans and trousers to flowy dresses, while the supportive sole makes the shoes easy to wear for hours at a time.
—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Allie dresses up as Jennifer Lopez—plunging green Versace dress and all.
—
Kenneal Patterson,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
Creamy Parmesan sauce dresses up bowtie pasta, collard greens, asparagus, and peas for a simple and nutritious main course.
—
Ashlyn Ware,
Midwest Living,
24 Apr. 2026
These men are supported by Nancy, a woman who dresses up in a nurse’s costume but seems to have no medical training.
—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
The performer dresses up in a Bigfoot costume and plays along with electronic music on the saxophone.
—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Of course, it’s made from the brand’s luxurious signature Italian leather, which dresses up any look from the office to the airport.
—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Denim Royale features luxe finishes and denim that dresses up without losing authenticity.
—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Oct. 2025
Each year, the museum dresses up in its Halloween décor and presents games, crafts, spooky stories and prizes.
—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Oct. 2025
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Allie dresses up as Jennifer Lopez—plunging green Versace dress and all.
—
Kenneal Patterson,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
Creamy Parmesan sauce dresses up bowtie pasta, collard greens, asparagus, and peas for a simple and nutritious main course.
—
Ashlyn Ware,
Midwest Living,
24 Apr. 2026
These men are supported by Nancy, a woman who dresses up in a nurse’s costume but seems to have no medical training.
—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
The performer dresses up in a Bigfoot costume and plays along with electronic music on the saxophone.
—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Of course, it’s made from the brand’s luxurious signature Italian leather, which dresses up any look from the office to the airport.
—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Denim Royale features luxe finishes and denim that dresses up without losing authenticity.
—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Oct. 2025
Each year, the museum dresses up in its Halloween décor and presents games, crafts, spooky stories and prizes.
—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dresses up
Verb
-
Dior dresses the players for every official appearance—not as a sponsorship decoration but as a statement of aesthetic register.
-
Honestly, Suzie has been a caricature of a demanding boss straight from some sort of rom-com situation, but Paula finally dresses her down here and the scene is delightful.
Verb
-
Chives’ strong scent naturally disguises the scent of pepper plants from pests.
-
The couple themselves — Marguerite (Mélanie Thierry) and Pierre Donnadieu (Vincent Macaigne) — are, for the most part, personable, but their generosity disguises a cultural condescension.
Verb
-
The rye component adds a bit of peppery, spicy snap, while the bourbon proportion smooths and sweetens the overall whiskey.
-
The grapes will still get the sugar that sweetens them from the surrounding leaves.
Verb
-
Modern cynicism, associated with distrust, masks its ancient Greek origins, which offer valuable leadership lessons.
-
Using one-time revenues for ongoing obligations is not fiscally responsible, masks structural deficits and shifts burdens to future budgets.
Verb
-
The hit rate improves dramatically.
-
The show, which improves after intermission, does have a fabulous closer — greatest-hits worthy — that is composed simply of two guys (musical director John Love and the consistently excellent Lilly) singing in falsetto.
Verb
-
That statistic should be alarming, given that only about 30% of single-family homes in Chicago have central air, compared with 76% nationwide — an average that conceals a starker reality.
-
Paromita, a widowed teacher, conceals her loneliness behind the cover of duty and routine, while Shefali, a working wife, hides her bruises beneath concealer and silence.
Verb
-
Sharper battlefield awareness Teledyne FLIR said the software enhances image quality using computational imaging techniques such as turbulence mitigation, dehazing, and super-resolution.
-
The workflow also has extensibility to a variety of other agentic use cases, including the company’s Chat Concierge tool which enhances the customer experience for car buyers and dealers.
Verb
-
Below the dash, the center console is simplified with a small panel of control buttons, a wireless phone charge pad, cup holders and an arm rest that hides a bit of storage space.
-
Other supplements come in gelatin capsules, made from collagen derived from cow and pig bones and hides, or mixed with dairy binders such as lactose and sodium caseinate.
Cite this Entry
“Dresses up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dresses%20up. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
