as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
I have to psych myself up before every swimming competition
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for psych (up)
Verb
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Eveningside’s smaller arms holding on to the chains while Morningside’s longer arms propelled them, her fists and excess joints braced against the ground; their span lengthening, extending and retracting in the girls’ to and fro.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026 -
Lone lost both arms in an accident at the age of eight and taught himself to play cricket using his legs, batting with the bat braced between his neck and chin and bowling with his feet.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The weekend only fortified the belief that things will turn.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
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Introduced last year in partnership with Projeto Paradiso in a bid to fortify the presence of Brazilian cinema in the global arena, Screen Brasil selects three projects and their respective sales agents.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Since then, Musk's team has been readying a fresh design of the rocket, which could be the version that finally reaches orbit and demonstrates key capabilities required to take humans deep into space.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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Mercedes seemed more catchable than in the opening three races of the 2026 calendar, a blip on the radar as the team readies a bigger upgrade package for the Canadian Grand Prix this month.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Psych (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/psych%20%28up%29. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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