WORKS UP Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

works up

verb

present tense third-person singular of work up

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

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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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for works up

Verb

This occurs when a tear develops in the inner lining of an artery supplying blood to the brain.

— Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Your sales team speaks to them; your success and support teams listen to their needs, expectations and problems; and your product team develops new features or updates based on that feedback and insight.

— Osman Koc, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of develops

Verb

Sutskever is the moral center of the film and grows increasingly uncomfortable as Altman forges ahead with complicated AI models that have learned how to lie, willfully ignoring risks.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
The Librarians, which premiered at Sundance in early 2025 and broadcast on PBS in early 2026, has been years in the making, but the battle at its core still forges on.

— Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of forges

Verb

Kolbe’s distinctive use of language brings to life this period’s wonders and difficulties, and her maximalist approach to metaphor creates many energetic images.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
That, in turn, creates incentives to manage the firm carefully with an eye toward long-term survival.

— Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of creates

Verb

Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pies Another freezer classic, and another that comes with eight in a box, which works out to under $2 a pie.

— Danielle Bouchard, Martha Stewart, 15 Oct. 2026
The director had rather surprisingly bragged that the film features around 50 jump scares, which works out to around one every two minutes.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of works out

Verb

The airport recently extended its current lease agreement an extra year, keeping the status quo in place through at least June 30, 2027, while the city hammers out a long-term deal.

— Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026
Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026

Definition of hammers out

Verb

Director James Marcus Haney crafts a propulsive portrait of Ukrainian youth living on a knife’s edge, denied the certainty of a future in a brutal war of aggression thrust upon them by Russia.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2026
Pleater Kyriacos Hadjikyriacou, meanwhile, crafts his textiles in the north London neighborhood of Tottenham.

— Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of crafts

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“Works up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/works%20up. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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verb

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