as in develops
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of works up
The Jetz-Scrubz sponge (awkward to say, easy to use) quickly works up super fine suds from your dish soap, making for a very satisfying and effective cleaning experience.
—
Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Feb. 2026
These stylistic parameters, however, feel established purely so the film can wrestle against them, which works up to a point.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
The whole episode works up to Dorit and Amanda’s confrontation at Dorit and Erika’s birthday dinner.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Smalltown Boy works up the courage to ask Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) to dance, and now their hands are all over each other, much to the chagrin of Smalltown Boy’s ex, Personal Jesus, who is going through the motions of dancing with Caribbean Queen but keeps looking over his shoulder.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Feb. 2026
These stylistic parameters, however, feel established purely so the film can wrestle against them, which works up to a point.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
The whole episode works up to Dorit and Amanda’s confrontation at Dorit and Erika’s birthday dinner.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Smalltown Boy works up the courage to ask Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) to dance, and now their hands are all over each other, much to the chagrin of Smalltown Boy’s ex, Personal Jesus, who is going through the motions of dancing with Caribbean Queen but keeps looking over his shoulder.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for works up
Verb
-
Unsettled pattern develops A stationary front will linger through the end of the week bringing a chance of rain each day from Thursday through the weekend.—
Gregory Padgett,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
While Japan has domestic oil reserves and is procuring crude from the United States, Zipair told CNBC in an email that supply conditions could still become more challenging depending on how the conflict develops.—
Sydney Goh,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Jaime Alas scores in stoppage time and El Salvador forges a 3-3 tie that ousts the United States from Olympic soccer qualifying.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
So holding 18, 19, 20-year-old young men to those standards on a daily basis is what forges championship teams.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Inside, a central ramp—which spirals upward and outward from one exhibition floor to the next—creates an open interior space, flooded with daylight that pours in through a glass dome.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
That creates an opportunity for automation.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That works out fine in normal times, but in this particular crisis that means the airlines are taking it on the chin.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Not everything works out well, especially when home inspections are involved.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There are a lot of quality hammers out there, but this Craftsman hammer from Amazon is both tough and affordable.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Though speaking in a heartfelt way can be hard for someone using a second language, many executives of multinational companies do nonetheless make the effort (even if their public relations staff typically crafts the message).—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Across Dallas this past week, residents have been attending town halls to get a sense of what’s in store as the city crafts a new budget.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Works up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/works%20up. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
