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
-
Acapulco residents had braced for Erick's arrival with more preparation and trepidation because of the memory of the devastation two years earlier.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 June 2025 -
Song’s demystification of what passes for love in a typical rom-com is bracing.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
Coupang has been moving quickly to fortify Farfetch after purchasing the company out of administration at the end of 2023.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
19 June 2025
-
The island itself is cut off from the mainland via a path that only appears at low tide, and its citizens keep a constant vigil at the ramshackle but heavily fortified entrance.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
18 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 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share