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
Keke Palmer also took us back to the early aughts, dressing up as Jessica Alba in Honey.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
There are songs about dressing up in your Halloween costume, celebrating Halloween at school, and decorating the house in Halloween decorations.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 31 Oct. 2025
Unlike past attempts at fictionalizing his life, Macmanus barely touches on the fact that Gacy had a hobby of dressing up like a clown, and doesn’t show any actual murders in the series.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
But what about the amateur adventurer who also enjoys dusting off and dressing up after a long day on the trail?
—AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
Speaking of dressing up, the bag drips with style and will elevate any outfit in your wardrobe.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Many fans suggested the gift was a subtle jab at Nicole, who previously pretty much admitted to dressing up as Teyana Taylor for Halloween following her split from Iman Shumpert.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 16 Oct. 2025
People saw it not once, not twice, but over and over, frequently dressing up as the characters and hurling things — toast, rice, puns, obscenities — at the screen.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
But dressing up can be a year-round affair, like when moms and dads are looking for party costumes or cultural outfits for their kids.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
There are songs about dressing up in your Halloween costume, celebrating Halloween at school, and decorating the house in Halloween decorations.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 31 Oct. 2025
Unlike past attempts at fictionalizing his life, Macmanus barely touches on the fact that Gacy had a hobby of dressing up like a clown, and doesn’t show any actual murders in the series.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
But what about the amateur adventurer who also enjoys dusting off and dressing up after a long day on the trail?
—AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
Speaking of dressing up, the bag drips with style and will elevate any outfit in your wardrobe.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Many fans suggested the gift was a subtle jab at Nicole, who previously pretty much admitted to dressing up as Teyana Taylor for Halloween following her split from Iman Shumpert.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 16 Oct. 2025
People saw it not once, not twice, but over and over, frequently dressing up as the characters and hurling things — toast, rice, puns, obscenities — at the screen.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
But dressing up can be a year-round affair, like when moms and dads are looking for party costumes or cultural outfits for their kids.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressing up
Verb
-
Use dressing within 1 day, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Last September the company opened The LaPointe Atelier at 31 Howard Street in Manhattan to host private appointments for its statement occasion dressing, as reported.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
No need to curb your enthusiasm here because Tony Hawk did a pretty, pretty good job disguising himself as the legendary Larry David.—
Diana Pearl,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
As a result, many civil servants are wary of serving baijiu at government functions; others are skirting the rule by disguising the clear liquor as water.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But those who’ve watched the Blackhawks on a nightly basis know Spencer Knight has been masking some familiar defensive deficiencies.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
While most scented soaps do a mediocre job of masking food smells with harsh, cheap fragrances, Naomi’s scrub neutralizes offending odors with bread-yeast enzymes, then leaves behind subtle, but incredibly luxurious notes of bergamot, black pepper, sandalwood, and ginger.—
Editors of Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Using natural sweetening agents or experimenting with spices can improve the texture and flavor of your favorite desserts.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
20 Oct. 2025
-
After these crops are exposed to a light freeze near the end of the season, the starches within them gradually turn to sugar, sweetening their palatability.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When asked about this tactic, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that the agency believes its employees are not camouflaging their identities.—
NPR,
NPR,
30 Oct. 2025
-
An additional photo shows a low shelter, barely tall enough to sit upright, covered in foliage camouflaging the family’s location.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Across Brazil, nearly three-quarters of citizens believe city climate initiatives are improving both the environment and their daily quality of life.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Mayo is a community activist and nonprofit leader whose organization Transforming Nations Ford focuses on improving the Nations Ford and Arrowood corridor.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of concealing them, Ban’s shutters filter light and create privacy—transforming utilitarian design into art.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Trump faced criminal counts of conspiring to obstruct justice, concealing documents and making false statements.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Several tech players are already constructing private energy plants for their own use as part of their data center buildouts, so there is nothing radical about Democrats insisting on tying approvals for data centers to bearing the cost of enhancing the public grid.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Gemini is also enhancing Lens in Maps.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dressing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressing%20up. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share