as in to develop
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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Recent Examples of work up
Specialty dining is also included, so be sure to work up an appetite.
—
Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
After working up an appetite in the more temperate months, meals can be taken at the outdoor dining pavilion alongside the home.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
There’s no better way to work up an appetite than a rewarding round of golf in a picturesque location.
—Katie Sweeney, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Just be sure to work up to trickier moves gradually so the vibrations don’t knock you off balance, Pojednic adds.
—Jennifer Heimlich, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for work up
Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
After working up an appetite in the more temperate months, meals can be taken at the outdoor dining pavilion alongside the home.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
There’s no better way to work up an appetite than a rewarding round of golf in a picturesque location.
—Katie Sweeney, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Just be sure to work up to trickier moves gradually so the vibrations don’t knock you off balance, Pojednic adds.
—Jennifer Heimlich, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for work up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work up
Verb
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Early symptoms may also go away within a day, but serious to fatal liver damage can still develop within two to three days.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
In a groundbreaking new study, researchers have developed an electronic skin that allows humanoid robots to distinguish everyday touch from damaging force.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Fiction is the amalgam that allows disparate elements to forge a whole.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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But without a finished 10th novel to work from (Gabaldon is currently in progress on her final Outlander volume, called A Blessing for a Warrior Going Out), Roberts and team had to toe a fine line between honoring the essence of the book series and forging their own path forward.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Armchair analysis fills the space that is created by the absence of available facts.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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Another measure, House Bill 1645, would create state versions of FEMA programs as Mississippi officials prepare for reduced federal disaster support.—
ALEX ROZIER Mississippi Today,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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So mailing your ballot may work out fine, or may not.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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He’s initially disappointed to find people working out at Muscle Beach in Lummus Park, doing yoga on the sand and going for a jog.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Work up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work%20up. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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