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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Amid the warmth and humor of her portrait of teenagehood, Smith is touching on a cold and bracing thing.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
13 May 2026 -
Although much of Hollywood is bracing for AI to hollow out jobs, Erwin argues that AI can return at least some production jobs that have been outsourced.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Infusing this with her music has fortified her place in pop.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
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Together, those ingredients restore, firm, and fortify every inch of you.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Inside the nearly empty Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA last Monday afternoon, the air rumbles and judders and roars like a B-52 engine readying for takeoff.—
Erik Pedersen,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
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And across the street from Hyde Park Academy, construction crews swarmed to ready the Obama Presidential Center behemoth for its Juneteenth opening date.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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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 14 May. 2026.
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