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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From the start, her campaign braced for a tough final push; no less than Barack Obama is heading to the state in the final days to pitch in.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025 -
In a culture where Hollywood creators worry about an AI takeover while a video-watching citizenry braces itself for a wave of synthetic media from Sora 2 and others, an AI commercial at this level is no small thing.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Since then, Xi has sought to fortify Chinese industry titans, including Huawei, China Rare Earths Group, and EV maker BYD.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
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For example, state parties now get major influxes of cash, to the tune of a million dollars a month, to hire staff, set up programs, and fortify their ranks.—
Brittany Shepherd,
ABC News,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As usual, the best path to ready yourself and your home is by being proactive—and nothing is more prep-minded that getting rid of things that only add clutter to your home.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
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Vietnam’s Prime Minister urged the country’s emergency response agencies and ministries to ready themselves as the country braces for the impact of the typhoon.—
Rajeev Tyagi,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 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 11 Nov. 2025.
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