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
  • Even with their fortunes brightening in Michigan, Republicans are clear-eyed about the headwinds this year.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Made with a peptide complex and vitamin E, the patches reduce lines and wrinkles while plumping and brightening your skin.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 25 July 2026
Definition of brightening
Verb
  • In the opposite direction, open the elbows wide, arching the back and lifting the chin to the sky.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • This type of training is focused on lifting increasingly heavy weights to build bone and muscle mass — something that is critical for women in midlife.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of lifting
Verb
  • But looking up from this dark hole, the night sky was a paradise of signs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The 18-year-old version of me probably would have started looking up prices on used sports cars.
    — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of looking up
Verb
  • The spending is raising questions about Denver's decision to hire outside lawyers for the cases, its decision to agree to the firm's hourly rates and how quickly the legal bills have exceeded the amount the city originally agreed to pay.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • That, in turn, makes less ground transport available, increasing the cost of shipping overland and raising the price on a wide range of goods that never even transited the canal.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • Yet underneath the glowing case studies lies a quiet crisis, which is AI fatigue.
    — Khadim Batti, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Give yourself the treat of waking up with amazing hair and skin with this mulberry silk pillowcase, which has over 10,000 glowing reviews at Amazon.
    — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of glowing
Verb
  • The model credits pasture for taking up carbon but does not count the carbon carried away in wool and livestock as leaving the system.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • One-and-done dressing means one less outfit to plan—and fewer pieces taking up precious suitcase space.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of taking up
Verb
  • But for allies of a vice president who’s uniquely willing to feed his online trolls, Magness struck a nerve by elevating Vance’s comments that the dollar’s reserve-currency status could be hurting the US’ ability to export goods.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The conflict in the Middle East, now nearing its six-month mark, has sent oil prices higher, elevating inflation concerns.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 19 Aug. 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 24 Aug. 2026.

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