smartening (up)

verb

present participle of smarten (up)
as in prinking

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smartening (up)
  1. primping
  2. dressing up
Verb
  • Plus, check out the rest of her hair primping routine, below.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 5 July 2026
  • The small reception desk seems tight on space, but most employees are out in the lobby welcoming guests, straightening pillows in the waterfront lounge, and primping the magnificent flower arrangements anyway.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Definition of primping
Verb
  • And then there’s Michael Kors, bringing all the drama with animal prints, fringe, and elevated fabrics that encourage dressing up, even when the calendar says Tuesday.
    — Camila Quimper, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In past episodes, this has meant dressing up as Sigmund Freud in Vienna, singing with The Irish Tenors in Dublin, and facing off with a python in Bangkok.
    — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of dressing up
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.

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smartening
smartening (up)
smartens
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Cite this Entry

“Smartening (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smartening%20%28up%29. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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