1
as in to brighten
to become glad or hopeful
we perked up once the sun came out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
the dog tilts her head and perks up her ears whenever someone speaks to her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perk (up)
Verb
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Understanding which bird species react to changes in light could be key as the world brightens due to the increasing presence of artificial light.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025 -
Writers need time to get to know their stars’ strengths, even if those stars have been brightening our screens for decades.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The research team also revealed that the robots can change their shape and gait to adapt to different terrains or to perform a variety of functions, such as gripping and lifting objects.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Oct. 2025
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Two teaspoons of baking powder lift the dense cookie dough into puffy masterpieces.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For the event, which raises money for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Gomez exuded old Hollywood elegance in a glamorous black gown featuring sparkly embellishments.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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Sanders backed Platner’s campaign, and the senatorial hopeful has raised millions of dollars for his campaign.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Utah incident showed how counter protesters, too, can elevate tensions.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
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Sides and sauces, each carefully chosen, elevated every meal.—
Essence,
Essence,
18 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Perk (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perk%20%28up%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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