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
Makeup patted him down—he’d worked up a coat of sweat during the setup—and powdered him up; the costumer threw his shirt on him.
—
Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
While Korean labor law dictates that workers can work a maximum of 52 hours per week, medical interns and residents can legally work up to 88 hours per week and up to 36-hour shifts.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
To enable this feature: Open the Control Center on your iPhone (usually accessed by swiping down on your phone’s screen)
Tap the Hearing icon
Tap Live Listen
Place the iPhone near the sound source (works up to 50 feet)
AIRPODS PRO 2 VS.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
As the young man became increasingly worked up to the point of tears, his dad offered to take him to Taco Bell to talk things over, since his son had promised to be honest about the situation.
—Christian Dashiell, Parents, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for work up
Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
While Korean labor law dictates that workers can work a maximum of 52 hours per week, medical interns and residents can legally work up to 88 hours per week and up to 36-hour shifts.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
To enable this feature: Open the Control Center on your iPhone (usually accessed by swiping down on your phone’s screen)
Tap the Hearing icon
Tap Live Listen
Place the iPhone near the sound source (works up to 50 feet)
AIRPODS PRO 2 VS.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
As the young man became increasingly worked up to the point of tears, his dad offered to take him to Taco Bell to talk things over, since his son had promised to be honest about the situation.
—Christian Dashiell, Parents, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for work up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work up
Verb
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Rare Breed agreed not to develop FRTs for pistols and to enforce its patents to block potentially unsafe imitations.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
19 May 2025
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Something borrowed, something blue As Xu worked to develop a technology that could revolutionize surgical care for people with advanced-stage cancer, Elissa graduated from high school and went on to study journalism and electronic media at Eastern Michigan University.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Trump could be the right leader to forge compromise.—
J. Tedford Tyler,
Time,
17 May 2025
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Reflecting on their experience in Houston, the Aluminum Narwhals cherished the competition, forging new connections, making quick decisions, and strengthening team bonds.—
Claire Lin And Kyle Vu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 May 2025
Verb
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The proprietary process recovers up to 98 percent of critical metals while minimizing contaminants, creating a ready feedstock for downstream refiners.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Texas ceramic artist Earline Green researches the Wilsons’ past while creating her own pottery to honor their legacy.—
Jacoba Urist,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 May 2025
Verb
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The pairing has worked out splendidly on the court, too.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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That works out to an audience of 117,750 people per screen, compared to around 15,000 people per screen in China and South Korea and 9,000 in the U.S, making Indonesia significantly under-screened.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Work up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work%20up. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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