1
as in dressing
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 disguising
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
as in sprucing
to make more desirable
dressed up the house with new windows and a paint job before putting it on the market
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in clothing
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 dressing up
One of the teen's mothers contacted law authorities in California to report text messages on his phone discussing him dressing up in a delivery uniform and committing a burglary, court documents said.
—
Louis Casiano , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
These joggers are so cool right now, even for dressing up with a chic peacoat or blazer.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
Not to be overly dramatic, but dressing up for the office is basically my nightmare.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
There are songs about dressing up in your Halloween costume, celebrating Halloween at school, and decorating the house in Halloween decorations.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 31 Oct. 2025
Unlike past attempts at fictionalizing his life, Macmanus barely touches on the fact that Gacy had a hobby of dressing up like a clown, and doesn’t show any actual murders in the series.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
But what about the amateur adventurer who also enjoys dusting off and dressing up after a long day on the trail?
—AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
Speaking of dressing up, the bag drips with style and will elevate any outfit in your wardrobe.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Many fans suggested the gift was a subtle jab at Nicole, who previously pretty much admitted to dressing up as Teyana Taylor for Halloween following her split from Iman Shumpert.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Louis Casiano , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
These joggers are so cool right now, even for dressing up with a chic peacoat or blazer.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
Not to be overly dramatic, but dressing up for the office is basically my nightmare.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
There are songs about dressing up in your Halloween costume, celebrating Halloween at school, and decorating the house in Halloween decorations.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 31 Oct. 2025
Unlike past attempts at fictionalizing his life, Macmanus barely touches on the fact that Gacy had a hobby of dressing up like a clown, and doesn’t show any actual murders in the series.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
But what about the amateur adventurer who also enjoys dusting off and dressing up after a long day on the trail?
—AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
Speaking of dressing up, the bag drips with style and will elevate any outfit in your wardrobe.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Many fans suggested the gift was a subtle jab at Nicole, who previously pretty much admitted to dressing up as Teyana Taylor for Halloween following her split from Iman Shumpert.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dressing up
Verb
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The Wuthering Heights press tour, for which Margot Robbie has returned to method-dressing mode, is near impossible to escape.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
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Monroe often worked with Chapman, a New York designer who was also known for dressing the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Deborah Kerr.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Carnival plays out in the movie’s background, adding life and music as well as disguising crimes perpetrated by those in power.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
People describing themselves as constitutional observers tell WCCO that in the past week, reports of ICE agents disguising themselves have flooded in from the Twin Cities Metro and rural areas of the state.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In her ruling Monday, Snyder blocked only the ban on masking by federal agents, and on seemingly narrow grounds.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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Soon after the Oman talks concluded, the State Department imposed sanctions to target a web of shipping companies, vessel operators, and tankers used to transport Iranian oil products abroad while masking the origin.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Indiana lawmakers advanced a measure to require data center companies to fork over 1% of their sales tax exemption savings to local governments, sweetening the deal for local officials embroiled in the data center fights sweeping the state.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
3 Feb. 2026
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Instead of sweetening it, the relatives clamped a sugar cube between their incisors and loudly sucked the tea through it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The finish is like a veil with a light-reflecting brightness that does wonders at camouflaging darkness and discoloration.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
1 Feb. 2026
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The clip also showed soldiers camouflaging vehicles with green netting and raising a flag at an airbase in eastern Belarus, close to the Russian border.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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With the advent of better cancer-screening tools, survival rates are improving, and wonder-drug therapeutics for many conditions are now on the market.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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In recent designs, AIP modules can extend underwater endurance from roughly two days to several weeks, significantly improving stealth and operational flexibility.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Within days of these online solicitations, the August 10 incident occurred where the suspect arrived at the victim’s address wearing a mask and gloves, possibly concealing a firearm and inquired about the victim.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Iranian economy is a grand hall of mirrors, concealing criminal theft on an epic scale.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These systems optimize contrast, brightness, and color with machine learning algorithms that adjust to scene content and ambient light, significantly enhancing viewing quality without manual calibration.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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With plans for major renovations to Robb Field and Dusty Rhodes Park already approved by the city, the emphasis this time was on enhancing smaller parks that primarily serve local residents.—
Steven Mihailovich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dressing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dressing%20up. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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