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
-
The deep-cleaning Paul Mitchell Two Clarifying Shampoo, brightening Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Shampoo, and volumizing and nourishing Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo are among her go-tos.—
Olivia Dubyak,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026 -
The serum also features a complex of five peptides to help firm skin, support collagen, and soften the appearance of fine lines, along with niacinamide to brighten uneven tone, and adenosine to smooth and strengthen overall skin structure.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The mission will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center, where SpaceX will also launch the Crew-12 astronauts.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Syria’s transitional president has succeeded in lifting the siege.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Because of that, Sean Payton said his father raised him with as little danger as possible.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
16 Jan. 2026
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This Le Creuset square grill is similar to a cast-iron skillet in construction, but features raised ridges to mimic the effect of an outdoor grill, minus the flame.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Recently, researchers have made a major leap forward by engineering a novel cathode material that dramatically elevates performance, bringing us closer to practical, high-efficiency thermal energy systems.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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These ones elevate the trend — pun intended — with comfortable platform soles and double side stripe appliqués.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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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 19 Jan. 2026.
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