WORK UP Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

work up

verb

Definition of work up

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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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.

Recent Examples of work up He feels emotionally ambushed, and what plays out is as if Marriage Story were an absolute chucklefest, as Lestat gets increasingly worked up and jealous over Louis’s relationships with other men. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 15 June 2026 Church’s numinous-sun-over-still-water routine had begun to look a bit like a shtick, equally applicable to scenes of the Hudson or those worked up from 20-year-old sketches of South America. — Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026 Stroll on the Eastern Promenade to work up an appetite and take in views of Casco Bay. — Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026 These surveys drop a lot of hard, time-consuming work up front. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for work up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for work up

Verb

For decades, its researchers have worked to develop groundbreaking tools to redefine how scientists visualize, understand and engineer matter at the atomic scale.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
The public warnings are the culmination of growing concern globally about the capability of AI, following numerous cyberattacks and security incidents in recent months by rogue models developed by both OpenAI and Anthropic.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of develop

Verb

And, in recent years, a new culinary wave has emerged, as chefs create bold fusion dishes or, more subtly, adapt Japanese recipes to uniquely Brazilian produce, from Amazon river fish to jambu, a tongue-tingling herb.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
Cardiac arrhythmia ablation, according to the British Heart Foundation, is when heat or cold energy is used to create tiny scars in the heart to block faulty signals and restore a typical heartbeat.

— Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of create

Verb

George Vanderploeg, a townhouse broker at Douglas Elliman, pointed out that $1,600 or $1,700 per square foot — what 80 Horatio’s sales price works out to — isn’t bad, especially for a 25-footer.

— Kim Velsey, Curbed, 8 Sep. 2026
The 76ers have a lot to work on and a lot to work out, and none of it will be solved overnight.

— Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of work out

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works up

work up

workwoman

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“Work up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work%20up. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of work up

verb

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