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
Whether on vacation with the family, attending award and sporting events or dressing up for Halloween, the busy star prefers spending as much time as possible with her kids.
—
Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 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
Guests at the National Historic Landmark can experience afternoon team in the parlor, dressing up for a dinner and a live orchestra at night.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 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
Guests at the National Historic Landmark can experience afternoon team in the parlor, dressing up for a dinner and a live orchestra at night.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressing up
Verb
-
Both floors boast 2,500 square feet of space with the top level offering an expansive living, dining, and kitchen area, with a media room, primary suite and dressing rooms, per AD.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Covering every visible wall—save for the dressing rooms, which feature a decorative curtain that continues Jardy's tableau— the mosaic immerses the space in a vision of Farm Rio's tropical world.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
These can often be perceived as condescending, disguising advice within a seemingly innocuous question.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Scott said that the two carried out the affair without Erin knowing by disguising their intimate meetings as trips to the home improvement store Lowe's.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The back of his head and shoulders are additionally covered by the shade, masking his appearance even more.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The Invisible Burden Beneath the veneer of modern HR software, leave management persists as a relic of manual processes, often masking human case managers operating behind portals.—
Anant Agarwal,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Krispy Kreme is sweetening an already-sweet long Labor Day weekend.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
31 Aug. 2025
-
Many companies have invested in onsite amenities like fitness centers or day care in hopes of sweetening the return-to-office deal.—
Gleb Tsipursky,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Sean Longstaff and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have joined from Newcastle and Everton respectively, while the exciting additions of midfielder Anton Stach from Hoffenheim and attacker Noah Okafor from AC Milan will provide hope of improving on a solid start.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi met China's President Xi Jinping at the 5th Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, signaling improving ties.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
She is charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, the Lexington Police Department said in a news release.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Dugan is charged with concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor, and obstruction, which is a felony.—
Scott Bauer,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Other states, including California, Montana, Idaho and North Dakota, have similar laws enhancing sentences for repeat felony offenders.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
-
In another section, male nudes celebrate the body with an ode to classic perfection, enhancing strength and symmetry through a refined use of light and composition.—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dressing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressing%20up. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share