1
as in brightened
to become glad or hopeful
we perked up once the sun came out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lifted
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 perked (up)
Verb
-
Her ability to observe and relate her observations and insights with clarity brightened the pages of various publications over many years.—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026 -
Despite Martin’s rough start in the job, the party’s spirits had brightened considerably after November 4, when Democrats scored double-digit wins in the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
An eight-hour lockdown on campus was lifted Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
SpaceX launches Crew-12 astronauts With a blinding light, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on time from Space Launch Complex 40 to carry the four Crew-12 astronauts toward the International Space Station.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
With greater tempo and intensity from Liverpool after the interval, the decibel levels were raised inside Anfield and the players fed off that energy, knocking City off their stride.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Last time was Super Bowl LVI following the 2021 season, when the Rams raised the Lombardi Trophy in their home stadium after a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bea Kim looked up to Chloe Kim.—
Alex Connor,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
When the song ended, Puth stepped back from his keyboard and looked up, clearly overwhelmed, at the crowd and the sky.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
More melodic variation might have elevated these more reserved passages; Sutkowski’s pull-no-punches songwriting usually isn’t enough to shoulder the weight on its own.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The general atmosphere is elevated, perfect for Valentine’s Day.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Perked (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perked%20%28up%29. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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