spruce (up)

verb

ˈsprüs How to pronounce spruce (up) (audio)
Definition of spruce (up)next
as in to trim
to make neat hurriedly sprucing up the hotel dining room before the breakfast crowd began showing up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spruce (up)
  1. trim
  2. organize
  3. arrange
Verb
  • Arenberg Seltzer emphasized that the council aims to maintain after-school care programs and could look at trimming specific components, such as field trips or job exploration.
    — Bri Buckley, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The active suspension constantly trims the car’s aerodynamic pitch while the GitiSport e·GTR 2 PRO semi-slick tires are engineered to survive centrifugal forces that would shred ordinary rubber.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of trim
Verb
  • Walter Glomb, executive director of the Connecticut State Council on Developmental Disabilities, said Thursday’s gathering was organized to send a message to Lamont not to mess with disability services.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The Texas politician, whose own presidential and Senate bids have failed, has thrown himself into organizing.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of organize
Verb
  • The displays can be arranged in either landscape or portrait orientation, depending on your preferences.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Paddle surf excursions can be booked via the concierge, as well as leather workshops, wine or olive oil tastings, vineyard tours, and boat trips—all are arranged via local third-party companies to ensure the most authentic experience possible.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of arrange
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.

Browse Nearby Words

spruces (up)
spruce (up)
sprucing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spruce (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spruce%20%28up%29. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All