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
After working up an appetite in the more temperate months, meals can be taken at the outdoor dining pavilion alongside the home.
—
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
To this day, working up a mess of beans soothes and centers me.
—Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 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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In the future, it could be used for developing high-performance, sustainable materials for everything from aerospace engineering to advanced protective gear.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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This is a developing story and has been updated.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shepherd, who cohosted The View from 2007-14 after forging a successful career as a stand-up comic, first announced her talk series in 2022 as a replacement for the popular Wendy Williams Show.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Feb. 2026
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In concrete terms, Germany demonstrates sustained leadership of Europe and the larger Atlantic area alliance in forging a path to greater defense spending and greater support of Ukraine in the continuing brutal war with Russia.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The company has compared the cost of creating a biodrone to that of building a conventional unmanned aerial vehicle, emphasizing that birds require no battery recharging and can fly farther in a single day.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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Her daughter, Nina Greipel, fulfilled a promise to patrons by creating a cookbook of the restaurant's recipes.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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He’s initially disappointed to find people working out at Muscle Beach in Lummus Park, doing yoga on the sand and going for a jog.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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Some rules that Boyce must follow over the next many months include having no visitors inside his room, not using any alcohol or drugs and working out frequently, with a goal of losing weight and building up strength.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The mayor has faced challenges with hammering out a compromise between the Black and Latino caucuses for the influential role; now Lawson, who is white, could be poised to clinch the spot.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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The statement said that Patagonia and Pattie Gonia—who uses female pronouns—spent several years hammering out an agreement over the activist’s use of the brand’s name.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Working up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working%20up. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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