as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
I have to psych myself up before every swimming competition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for psych (up)
Verb
-
Born into the cult, Prophet draws comparisons between the group’s apocalyptic dogma (braced for a Soviet nuclear strike, the church built extensive Montana bomb shelters in the early 1990s), and Christian Nationalism, QAnon and the MAGA movement.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025 -
Colorado’s health department is bracing for several layoffs early next month for workers focused on cancer and heart disease prevention, thanks to the apparent loss of nearly $2 million in federal grant funding and the state’s own bleak fiscal outlook.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
Following the January departure of Flos B&B Italia’s chief executive officer, luxury veteran Daniel Lalonde, its new management has been focused on fortifying each firm in its portfolio before selling them off.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
-
Its railing is fortified with plexiglass safety barriers to prevent children from climbing, according to USA Today.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
The first full-time Waldorf Astoria residents have already moved in, and the hotel is readying for its grand opening this summer.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
28 June 2025
-
Before the referee had even dropped the whistle from his mouth, Erling Haaland galloped onto the pitch with a coach clearly tasked with readying him to replace Omar Marmoush at the break.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Psych (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/psych%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share