workup

1 of 3

noun (1)

work·​up ˈwərk-ˌəp How to pronounce workup (audio)
: an intensive diagnostic study especially for medical purposes

work-up

2 of 3

noun (2)

: an unintended mark on a printed sheet caused by the rising of spacing material

work up

3 of 3

verb

worked up; working up; works up

transitive verb

1
: to stir up : rouse
2
: to produce by mental or physical work
worked up a comedy act
worked up a sweat in the gym

intransitive verb

: to rise gradually in intensity or emotional tone

Examples of workup in a Sentence

Verb spent years working up a period novel that was historically accurate in every detail
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Assuming that a medical workup has been pursued and that the results were all normal, behavioral urine marking is the likely cause, but thankfully, there are ways to help eliminate this annoying habit. Dr. Devon B. Smith, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2025 But first, before putting you on a birth control pill or other form of contraception, your doctor will do a full workup to make sure that irregular bleeding is not caused by any other serious conditions, like endometrial cancer, explains Goldman. Mara Santilli, Flow Space, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
But around 1,700 of those 5,800 troops went absent without leave from the brigade at some point during its nine-month work-up. David Axe, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 But around 1,700 of those 5,800 troops went absent without leave from the brigade at some point during its nine-month work-up in western Ukraine, Poland and France. David Axe, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
To enable this feature: Open the Control Center on your iPhone (usually accessed by swiping down on your phone’s screen) Tap the Hearing icon Tap Live Listen Place the iPhone near the sound source (works up to 50 feet) AIRPODS PRO 2 VS. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025 As the young man became increasingly worked up to the point of tears, his dad offered to take him to Taco Bell to talk things over, since his son had promised to be honest about the situation. Christian Dashiell, Parents, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for workup

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1939, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1903, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of workup was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Workup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workup. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

work up

verb
1
: to stir up
worked up support for the project
2
: to produce by mental or physical work
worked up a sweat at the gym

Medical Definition

workup

1 of 2 noun
work·​up ˈwər-ˌkəp How to pronounce workup (audio)
: an intensive diagnostic study
a gastrointestinal workup
a psychiatric workup

work up

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to perform a diagnostic workup upon
work up a patient
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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