as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
I have to psych myself up before every swimming competition
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for psych (up)
Verb
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Beachfront property owners are bracing Thursday for the worst amid predictions of a storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025 -
For now, the family is focused on bracing as the best path forward, hoping improvement continues so Harris won’t need surgery.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Earlier in the day, the signing of Lowe, who’d been designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals last week, proved another step in trying to fortify the roster for the postseason.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
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Friday's summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska -- to which Ukrainian representatives were not invited -- ended with Russia demanding that Ukraine cede the entirety of its contested and fortified eastern Donetsk region in exchange for an end to the fighting, two sources told ABC News.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump is readying plans to unveil levies on all products containing semiconductor chips as soon as next week.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
6 Aug. 2025
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But the future of Boise State’s receiving corps is already in the building, and one of those athletes, sophomore Cam Bates, is readying himself for a breakout year.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Psych (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/psych%20%28up%29. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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