1
as in to dress
to put on one's best or formal clothes
we always like to dress up when going to parties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to disguise
to change the dress or looks of so as to conceal true identity
the war was a fiasco that the administration tried to dress up as a triumph
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in to clothe
to outfit with clothes and especially fine or special clothes
the girls were dressed up in skirts or dresses, but the boys were wearing jeans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dress up
Family, faith and a love of dressing up are all a major part of one centenarian's life — but her years on this Earth have produced a few surprises as well.
—
Maureen MacKey, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2025
Leather seats, air suspension, and anti-roll bars only dressed up the principle recipe.
—Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2025
Shoppers agree the material doesn’t wrinkle, and it can be easily dressed up for work or down with a pair of jeans.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 23 Feb. 2025
They can be dressed up or down easily, depending on the color.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress up
Maureen MacKey, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2025
Leather seats, air suspension, and anti-roll bars only dressed up the principle recipe.
—Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2025
Shoppers agree the material doesn’t wrinkle, and it can be easily dressed up for work or down with a pair of jeans.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 23 Feb. 2025
They can be dressed up or down easily, depending on the color.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress up
Verb
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Seated along the sidewalk outside Cafe Tropical, the singer, dressed in dark-wash denim and kitten heels, orders a Diet Coke and a trio of the Cuban cafe’s signature pastelitos.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
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In the studio, Prieto, dressed in a white guayabera and jeans, surveyed the image.—
Stephania Taladrid,
The New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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There follows a rewind which zooms in on the signs of abuse: smartphone messages read during a romantic clinch, stalking disguised as concern, jealousy, emotional manipulation and love bombing geared to isolate the protagonist from her support group.—
Stephanie Hirschmiller,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
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The camera had been disguised as a pen and left in a storage bin facing the toilet, so that the lens captured videos of female hospital staff members partially unclothed, according to court documents.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The palate balances candied fruit with Tepextate’s savory, peppery depth, accented by white pepper, lavender, and jasmine.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Lard was substituted with oil and raisin, [and] pine nuts and candied fruit were added to the dough.—
Michelle Tchea,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The model attended Aaron Esh’s dinner event at London's The House of KOKO on Sunday, Feb. 23, clad in a look that left little to the imagination.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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The gunman, clad in a red-and-black sweatshirt, dark-colored pants and black sneakers, ran off from the scene on White Plains Road near Pelham Parkway South, leaving behind two shell casings, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Wearing a look inspired by Barbie herself, Margot Robbie dolls up at this year's Gotham Awards on Nov. 27 in N.Y.C. 43 of 80 Night to Remember Bradley Cooper waves to onlookers outside of the 2023 Gotham Awards in New York City on Nov. 27.—
Zoey Lyttle,
Peoplemag,
30 Nov. 2023
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To further doll up your kitchen, Hilton’s main cutlery set features eight luxuriously golden knives with soft pink handles and gold accents.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2023
Verb
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Photographed on deeply textured 16mm, Lesson Learned is refreshingly frank about how kids act amongst themselves, the way teachers wield power (emotional and physical) to mask their insecurities, and what happens when clueless parents are brought into the fold.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2025
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Scents The function of toilet bowl cleaners is not only to remove bacteria and stains but also to mask the odor.—
BestReviews,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Today’s Amazon deals are all about sprucing things up: your desktop setup, your tablet experience, and your audio at home or the beach.—
Shubham Yewale,
PCMAG,
20 Feb. 2025
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Pick from a number of different toppings to spruce it up, but if your stomach is feeling a little uneasy, order a plain bowl to help settle it down.—
Christina Liao,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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By Tuesday afternoon, the plane wreckage was barely recognizable, camouflaged against the ground by snow plastered across the frozen fuselage, its left wing crumpled and right wing missing.—
Andy Rose,
CNN,
18 Feb. 2025
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Sometimes applying a furniture-grade oil over the whole surface can camouflage grease stains.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dress up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress%20up. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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