as in wrought (up)
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as in developed
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 worked up
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
Chicago — its fans, its organization and yes, its writers — has clung to that era as tightly as Toews and Kane clung to the Stanley Cup in that famous photo, because there’s been so little else to get worked up about.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 26 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for worked up
Adjective
Washington School House Hotel is located atop Park Avenue, moments from Main Street, and provides complimentary après-ski fare in the living room for outdoor enthusiasts who have worked up an appetite.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
Chicago — its fans, its organization and yes, its writers — has clung to that era as tightly as Toews and Kane clung to the Stanley Cup in that famous photo, because there’s been so little else to get worked up about.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
And Allen’s complaints, though too vague to assess individually, are indeed the sorts of things one might reasonably get worked up about.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 26 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for worked up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worked up
Verb
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For the pillow particular, there’s a menu that includes buckwheat, down, foam, maternity—even a NASA pillow developed for astronauts suffering from neck or back pain.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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According to research developed by the Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER), all 10 cities saw a larger cost of living increase between 2020 and 2025 compared to Los Angeles, with some cities experiencing twice as much of an increase.—
Lindsay Kornick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Living beneath one of the world's most famous landmarks, the iconic Hollywood sign, Rhoda Coleman and her neighbors are fed up with the traffic, chaotic scenes and harassment that comes from visitors.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
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People are already fed up with the news and the general atmosphere of fear and anger and frustration.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Verb
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To those who knew him, Lemieux could be surprisingly vulnerable, Shanahan said, noting the friendship Lemieux forged with Red Wings enforcer Darren McCarty despite multiple fights in their careers.—
Dan Robson,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Many early employees forged lifelong friendships.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Linda Hyde, a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards member since 2014, boarded her Southwest flight on May 21 at Miami International Airport humiliated and angry.—
Ella Moore
Updated May 29,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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Elder’s sculpture was sitting outside of Bee Hive KC over Memorial Day Weekend when a man who was visibly angry allegedly began vandalizing the honeybee, according to Elder.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Verb
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To some extent, supply created its own demand.—
Allison Schrager,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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Texas State’s Chase Mora greeted USC closer Adam Troy with a monstrous two-run home run to left field in the top of ninth, propelling the Bobcats to 5-4 upset before a crowd of 6,956.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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Rhodes had plenty to be upset about.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
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By midnight, the two of them had worked out a new set of terms.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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The Browns will acquire pass rusher and linebacker Jared Verse — the 2024 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year — a 2027 first-round selection and other draft picks that are still being worked out.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Throughout our conversation, Rosenbaum frequently cited examples in which obvious AI errors left him enraged and literally cursing at the machine.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
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At Williams’ trial, authorities said Williams was a jealous lover and often became enraged.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worked%20up. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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