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perking (up)

verb

present participle of perk (up)
1
as in brightening
to become glad or hopeful we perked up once the sun came out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lifting
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 perking (up)
  1. brightening
  2. lifting
  3. looking up
  4. raising
  5. glowing
  6. taking up
  7. elevating
Verb
  • From low pH water toners to milkier formulas packed with brightening ingredients like rice extract—consider these picks as formulas that set the canvas for a supple complexion.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The fragrance-free formula contains hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, which are the best lightweight, skin-brightening humectants for hydrating parched skin.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of brightening
Verb
  • Open your Shop-Vac by unbuckling the side latches and lifting the top unit off the machine.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Okoaskin is one of the brands putting IDEALIFT™ (acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester) to work in its lifting cream.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of lifting
Verb
  • Here’s a look at the 10 schools looking up at the rest, according to our findings.
    — David Ubben, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The main room in the second floor has 11-foot-four-inch ceilings, with a cutout looking up into the third floor.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of looking up
Verb
  • For now, at least, the burden of care continues to fall on the sandwich generation -- middle-aged adults who are raising children and supporting aging parents at the same time.
    — HUIYEE CHIEW AND LYRIC LI THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Fundraising for Hunger Busters continued Despite the lack of food deliveries, Phillips kept raising money for Hunger Busters.
    — Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • This is the best-selling matching set on Amazon and has thousands of glowing reviews to back it up.
    — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The glowing response took critics, who had seen the film earlier in the day, by surprise.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of glowing
Verb
  • While most voters tell us their biggest concern is affordability, a new issue has entered the chat, taking up an outsized amount of space on the campaign trail, on the airwaves, and in party war rooms.
    — S.E. Cupp, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Yet Texhibition Istanbul itself has been holding steady, taking up five halls while other exhibitions around the world were shrinking.
    — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of taking up
Verb
  • In essence, Cavalli said the mission remains fixed on celebrating artisan craft rather than elevating Homo Faber as a main design calendar event.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Benton has been directly involved in elevating Peggy’s story.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of elevating
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.

Browse Nearby Words

perkiness
perking (up)
perks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Perking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perking%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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