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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of working up
The pair are working up a slate of podcasts based around key moments in contemporary American history.
—
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 15 Apr. 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
Instead of traditionally starting at 100 pounds and working up to 235 pounds, this year’s matches started at 140 pounds.
—Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Feb. 2026
To this day, working up a mess of beans soothes and centers me.
—Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 15 Apr. 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
Instead of traditionally starting at 100 pounds and working up to 235 pounds, this year’s matches started at 140 pounds.
—Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Feb. 2026
To this day, working up a mess of beans soothes and centers me.
—Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for working up
Verb
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This is a developing story and will be updated.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The two companies are now developing a full-length Gummibär feature film scheduled for 2027.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Right now, Mercury and Neptune are forging an alliance in your motivated 10th house, empowering your public path.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
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Mary and Sam embrace wealth and opportunity, but their children begin forging identities that challenge expectations.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the standoff continued, Wenger was allegedly observed creating additional weapons, including taping a knife to a pole to form a spear, Podgorski said.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
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This set includes a spacious table and cushioned seating, creating a comfortable setup for both everyday meals and hosting.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bailey has a wide-eyed clueless cuteness that lends to her character’s well-meaning naiveté — even her missteps have a way of working out.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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The party and potential host cities are working out site visit plans for each in the coming weeks.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Aponte’s predecessor Kevin Abrams was the Giants‘ salary cap lead in previous years, most memorably hammering out the early versions of Daniel Jones’ contract extension in the lobby of the JW Marriott here in March 2023.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Working up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working%20up. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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