1
as in dressing
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 disguising
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 sprucing
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 clothing
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 dressing up
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
Ha-Ha-Halloween Song If your toddler is still a tad freaked out by all the skeletons and ghosts appearing around their neighborhood in the form of creepy decorations, and the prospect of dressing up just doesn’t sound appealing, CoComelon can help.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 3 Oct. 2025
Don’t think for a minute that dressing up for Halloween is child’s play.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
After the cyberstalking ordeal came to an end and started making national news, the Wilsons poked fun at Kendra's fate by dressing up a scarecrow in a prison jumpsuit with a mask of her mugshot over its face, per The Cut.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Some of these garnishes are also dressing up orange wine, a trending summer beverage.
—Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2025
Cox, on the other hand, paired a classic denim jacket with satin trousers, which is a simple trick for instantly dressing up denim.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
People went to see it again and again, and started dressing up in costumes and acting out the lines in front of the big screen, a practice that became known as shadow casting.
—ArsTechnica, 16 Aug. 2025
Stars such as Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Mariah Carey have all taken turns dressing up in the iconic garb.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Ha-Ha-Halloween Song If your toddler is still a tad freaked out by all the skeletons and ghosts appearing around their neighborhood in the form of creepy decorations, and the prospect of dressing up just doesn’t sound appealing, CoComelon can help.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 3 Oct. 2025
Don’t think for a minute that dressing up for Halloween is child’s play.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
After the cyberstalking ordeal came to an end and started making national news, the Wilsons poked fun at Kendra's fate by dressing up a scarecrow in a prison jumpsuit with a mask of her mugshot over its face, per The Cut.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Some of these garnishes are also dressing up orange wine, a trending summer beverage.
—Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2025
Cox, on the other hand, paired a classic denim jacket with satin trousers, which is a simple trick for instantly dressing up denim.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
People went to see it again and again, and started dressing up in costumes and acting out the lines in front of the big screen, a practice that became known as shadow casting.
—ArsTechnica, 16 Aug. 2025
Stars such as Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Mariah Carey have all taken turns dressing up in the iconic garb.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressing up
Verb
-
Elsewhere a fresh sense of femininity took shape as Prada offered a free and fluid way of dressing with unexpected silhouettes and pairings, while Fendi leaned into a youthful and playful energy through use of unexpected color and mixed fabrications.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Elliott believes that his cast dressing to the nines in outrageously glamorous frocks and bejeweled Carmen Miranda-style headgear atop their wigs, helped pave the way for the likes of RuPaul’s Drag Race to enter the mainstream.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Flores is excellent at scheming exotic blitzes and disguising pressure.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Both partners commit to naming insecurities directly rather than disguising them as tests.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
For decades, regenerative medicine has held the promise of repairing the body at its deepest level — not simply masking symptoms, but addressing the root causes of decline, injury, and disease.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Cracker Barrel is sweetening the deal for loyalty members, who will be able to take part in the $5 deal starting a full day early on September 25.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
23 Sep. 2025
-
The news led many to speculate that the move was a political one aimed at sweetening a then-pending merger between parent company Paramount and Skydance — a deal that the companies needed the FCC to approve.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Defense camouflaging more blemishes than Revlon.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
-
For older water stains or for camouflaging other stains, Mock advises following a process that aims to blend the stain with the surrounding area, as lifting the stain entirely isn’t possible without discoloring the leather.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The concept is raising concerns that the bloc is still too slow in improving its deterrence options, however.—
Silvia Amaro,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Needham analyst Tom Nikic said that while top-line trends were improving, there were still some pain points, including incremental tariff headwinds.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Snelling is currently charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Snelling was charged with tampering with physical evidence, concealing the birth of an infant and abuse of a corpse.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Matcha has higher concentrations of theanine and catechins, enhancing its brain-boosting potential.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In addition, with support from Michael Kors, WFP will be able to equip 30 schools with solar panels, upgraded kitchens and improved classrooms, enhancing the learning environments for more than 3,000 students.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dressing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressing%20up. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share