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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
The touching moment was shared on the TikTok account @rosiethestaffygirl, capturing the instant Rosie—a Staffordshire bull terrier rescue—worked up the nerve to confront something that had clearly been troubling her.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 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
The backstory This is the first hotel by Jaime Bravo, a Costa Rican hotelier who worked up the ranks of hospitality at the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong and a couple of boutique hotels in Tulum.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
The touching moment was shared on the TikTok account @rosiethestaffygirl, capturing the instant Rosie—a Staffordshire bull terrier rescue—worked up the nerve to confront something that had clearly been troubling her.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for worked up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worked up
Verb
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The Baby Club will be developed in partnership with baby gear brand Chicco while the Junior and Teens Clubs will have state-of-the-art gaming experiences, like a full arcade and MSC Formula Racer simulator.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
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That guidance was developed by Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and county law enforcement agencies.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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More and more Americans across the spectrum see Netanyahu’s Israel as a spoiled child, and they’re just fed up with it.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
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And hopefully we as a community kind of get fed up together and just get more involved, get more nosy.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And Murray, who has forged his reputation on performing playoff magic, came up small in the season’s biggest game.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
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But Lemisch’s comes with an intellectual pedigree forged in the history wars of the ’60s and ’70s.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Bill, who was a Vietnam War veteran, tended to be angry and demanding at home.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
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An angry crowd rioted outside an Australian Outback hospital where a man accused of killing a 5-year-old girl was treated for a vigilante beating.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Firefighters witnessed a rare ‘ash devil’ while battling the Trinity fire in San Bernardino County — a whirling column of hot ash and embers created when rising heat meets shifting winds.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
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The invalidated map had included a second majority-black district, created after years of litigation under the Voting Rights Act.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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Quenneville was the next huge piece of the puzzle, and the three-time Stanley Cup winner as a head coach has guided the Ducks to a first-round postseason upset.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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The Minnesota Timberwolves, or what is left of them, also advanced with an upset win against the Denver Nuggets.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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In a boost for advocates fighting to save a portion of the Hoppers Birge Pond Nature Preserve in Bristol from being developed, the city has worked out an agreement with the developer to acquire six acres for preservation.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
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Timing still needs to be worked out.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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The victim told police Walton became enraged over not receiving a tip, leading to an argument.—
Stepheny Price , Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2026
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Rail workers press for tighter security Unions have been fighting to strengthen passenger rail workers' protections for nearly a decade, after several incidents like the 2017 shooting of a conductor by an enraged passenger at the train station in Naperville, Illinois.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worked%20up. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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