sprucing (up)

verb

present participle of spruce (up)
as in trimming
to make neat hurriedly sprucing up the hotel dining room before the breakfast crowd began showing up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprucing (up)
  1. trimming
  2. organizing
  3. arranging
Verb
  • The machine is programmed in advance, allowing landscapers to complete other tasks, such as trimming and cleanup, while the mower cuts the grass.
    — Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Moving basil to full sun, watering consistently, and trimming leggy stems can revitalize it late in the season.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of trimming
Verb
  • Those convicted on Friday were key leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the group responsible for organizing the annual remembrance until 2019.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Keeping your shoes on the floor isn’t wrong, but there are wrong ways to do it, like organizing them only by color, for one.
    — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of organizing
Verb
  • Trump has privately discussed arranging an in-person meeting with Kim during his next trip to Asia, likely in November, the Journal said, when he is expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China.
    — Anniek Bao,Lisa Kim, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The musician in charge curates the guest experience, creating the soundtrack, collaborating on food and beverage menus, and arranging one-of-a-kind onsite performances that make a weekend feel like a complete all-access adventure.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of arranging
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

sprucing
sprucing (up)
sprung
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Cite this Entry

“Sprucing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprucing%20%28up%29. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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