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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
The season is too long to get worked up by three games in August.
—
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Stidham’s going into his third season with Webb and has seen his positional work up close since Webb jumped from playing to coaching after Payton got hired in Denver.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025
Smalltown Boy works up the courage to ask Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) to dance, and now their hands are all over each other, much to the chagrin of Smalltown Boy’s ex, Personal Jesus, who is going through the motions of dancing with Caribbean Queen but keeps looking over his shoulder.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
This has led to a growing number of contract employees who work up to, but not past, the hourly limit.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for work up
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Stidham’s going into his third season with Webb and has seen his positional work up close since Webb jumped from playing to coaching after Payton got hired in Denver.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025
Smalltown Boy works up the courage to ask Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) to dance, and now their hands are all over each other, much to the chagrin of Smalltown Boy’s ex, Personal Jesus, who is going through the motions of dancing with Caribbean Queen but keeps looking over his shoulder.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
This has led to a growing number of contract employees who work up to, but not past, the hourly limit.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for work up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work up
Verb
-
Consider how closed captioning, originally developed for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, now benefits millions in noisy environments or when audio isn't available.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Drought concerns in the Midwest and Northeast Widespread moderate drought has developed recently in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast, where precipitation during August was well below normal (rainfall deficits of 3 to 5 inches).—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
It’s forged in small rituals, honest boundaries, supportive villages, and the grace to accept what can’t be controlled.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Washington has so far thwarted Beijing’s ambitions to dominate the Indo-Pacific by forging alliances and partnerships in the region.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Turns out Stephano was pondering beltmaking too, leading the two to partner on a new business venture creating small-batch leather pieces and metal accessories.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The collection features approximately 350 works created in Cuba from the revolution through the 2000s.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cristobal couldn’t be happier with how things have worked out so far.—
Manny Navarro,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Which faction would win such a battle will never be known, however, because a year after the bill was signed and after lengthy negotiations, a compromise was worked out and quickly enacted.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Work up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work%20up. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share