as in developing
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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Recent Examples of working up
The other two are still working up to it, but the team isn't going anywhere.
—
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Talent deals Keeso, who has a multi-year deal with Bell, is working up Cats in the Plateau, a six-part comedy about two garbage men in Montréal, who start a gang.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 4 June 2026
Starting from bottom of bowl and working up, mix with your hands (like tossing a salad) until mixture starts to look dry again.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 June 2026
Opt for lower concentrations (think 5–10% instead of 15–20%) and ease in gradually, starting a few times a week before working up to daily use.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 8 May 2026
Hope is getting dirty, working up a sweat and seeing action.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
In the early 1990s, Porsche quietly began work on a V-10 engine for Formula 1; when that fell through, the idea sat on the shelf until the company began working up plans for a new Le Mans racer towards the end of the decade.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
All of this adds up to a more comfortable base for visitors to return to after working up a sweat under the desert sun.
—Mark Johanson, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
More experienced runners can gradually increase the running intervals, working up to four or six minutes of running with a one-minute walk break.
—Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Talent deals Keeso, who has a multi-year deal with Bell, is working up Cats in the Plateau, a six-part comedy about two garbage men in Montréal, who start a gang.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 4 June 2026
Starting from bottom of bowl and working up, mix with your hands (like tossing a salad) until mixture starts to look dry again.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 June 2026
Opt for lower concentrations (think 5–10% instead of 15–20%) and ease in gradually, starting a few times a week before working up to daily use.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 8 May 2026
Hope is getting dirty, working up a sweat and seeing action.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
In the early 1990s, Porsche quietly began work on a V-10 engine for Formula 1; when that fell through, the idea sat on the shelf until the company began working up plans for a new Le Mans racer towards the end of the decade.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
All of this adds up to a more comfortable base for visitors to return to after working up a sweat under the desert sun.
—Mark Johanson, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
More experienced runners can gradually increase the running intervals, working up to four or six minutes of running with a one-minute walk break.
—Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for working up
Verb
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The agreement imposed limits on Iran's nuclear program to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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Rodriguez has been developing the concept for more than a decade, based on drawings and stories created with and for his children.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Verb
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He was also accused of fabricating personal credit-card reimbursements and forging fake receipts, Bonta said.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Daily News,
17 June 2026
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The actors spent time forging the kind of intimate charge that could be felt in wordless glances between their closeted characters.—
Jen Yamato,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
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If a bear is calmly minding its own business 100 yards away, leave it alone and continue creating distance.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
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Belgium’s Jeremy Doku is due to become a father for the first time while the World Cup is still on and wants to be at the birth, creating a potential dilemma for the team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Verb
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So there’s a chance most players are away from Santa Clara, vacationing or working out before the start of training camp in late July.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
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Bath & Body Works Analyst Lorraine Hutchinson said the turnaround is working out for the body care and fragrance company.—
Michael Bloom,
CNBC,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Pritzker needs to take a hands-on approach, gathering all the stakeholders well in advance of the November veto session and hammering out a workable regimen, to ensure lawmakers have something on which to vote.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
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Stocks fell sharply early in Thursday's session, but steadily clawed their way back as investors appeared to take heart from news reports that Iran and Oman are hammering out a plan to oversee traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Working up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working%20up. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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