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)
Verb
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Gerdes loves to work silver foliage plants like dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima) into containers, their light, shimmery leaves brightening up the garden.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025 -
Chicken and rice is a satisfying choice for brightening anyone's day.—
Emma Ashe,
Southern Living,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handlebars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns.—
TIME Video,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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Saudi Aramco reported a surprise increase in profits and boosted its forecasts for gas production as the kingdom embarked on a policy of lifting crude output to grab market share.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That’s one investment that has proved rather unfruitful so far, although things appear to be looking up for WBD investors currently with company on the auction block and simultaneously preparing to separate its cable operations and studios/streaming into to companies.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
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In the Instagram carousel, Travis shared a photo of Rocky — already taking inspiration from his dad in a rock tee shirt and green and white sweatpants — showing off his curiosity by looking up at a sign of what appeared to be a yeti.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still, the project adds another exclusive tier to a venue already marked by VIP enclaves, raising questions about how much of COTA’s most distinctive real estate will remain truly accessible — and for how long.—
Patrick Iversen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The key to raising emotionally resilient kids is the ability to repair.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One of these videos gained over 291,000 views and dozens of glowing comments claiming the software worked perfectly.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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This win comes on the heels of a glowing three-star review by New York Times last month.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Pair it with jeans, dress, midi skirts—pretty much anything, really—for an instantly polished look that adds an extra layer of warmth without taking up precious space in your luggage.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
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The teacher opted to try taking up the carpet herself on the last day of school, but later submitted a work order after the job turned out to be too difficult to complete herself, the letter reads.—
JENNAH PENDLETON,
Sacbee.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Comcast its elevating Steve Croney to CEO of its core Connectivity & Platforms division, succeeding Dave Watson, effective January 1.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
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Comcast is elevating a longtime finance veteran to a new C-suite role.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Perking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perking%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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