as in to develop
to produce or bring about especially by long or repeated effort
spent years working up a period novel that was historically accurate in every detail
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of work up
Fred and Palmer can’t get their heads around what the rest of the Marsies are so worked up about, and Boyd has far bigger fish to fry because her freelance sleuthing in the space-suit checkout logs has revealed something terrible.
—
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
The players looked worked up at times and the fans are nervous.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
This is an ideal matchup for the Avs to work up a sweat before taking on the Dallas Stars.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
The pair are working up a slate of podcasts based around key moments in contemporary American history.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for work up
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
The players looked worked up at times and the fans are nervous.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
This is an ideal matchup for the Avs to work up a sweat before taking on the Dallas Stars.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
The pair are working up a slate of podcasts based around key moments in contemporary American history.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for work up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work up
Verb
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Though Baudelaire was influenced by Poe’s macabre imagination, decadence never developed its own school in nineteenth-century America, then still a young country.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The athlete himself is central to the formula—the products are developed around his lifestyle and career.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Officials say the ring targeted vulnerable residents by forging documents, stealing personal information about the real owners and arranging the sales of the properties.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Mets are continuing to forge ahead with the team built by Stearns and managed by Mendoza, despite suboptimal results.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Over the past decade, Pau has created a series of media installations about the bauhinia, exploring different methods of rendering scientific data as sound and light.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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One clear choice creates stability.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Twenty lucid dreamers, including Bark-Huss, spent multiple nights in the lab, trying to work out puzzles in their sleep.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Not every sale works out like that, but Kahn has done well enough to make this his career.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Work up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work%20up. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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