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
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.
Recent Examples of dress up
There’s even two guys dressed up like Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, Aloha shirt and all.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025
Consider dressing up and laying the table nicely to set the mood.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
There’s a dancing zebra—or, rather, a guy dressed up as one.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 30 Jan. 2025
Some rang bells and tossed coins into containers in the shape of gold bars for good luck, while others ate traditional snacks from food stalls and took photos with a person dressed up as the God of Wealth.
—Ken Moritsugu, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dress up 
Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025
Consider dressing up and laying the table nicely to set the mood.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
There’s a dancing zebra—or, rather, a guy dressed up as one.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 30 Jan. 2025
Some rang bells and tossed coins into containers in the shape of gold bars for good luck, while others ate traditional snacks from food stalls and took photos with a person dressed up as the God of Wealth.
—Ken Moritsugu, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dress up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress up
Verb
-
The couple posed around a classic car as Lutes wore a black suit and Lovato dressed in white with hair in dramatic loose curls.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Totally rocking the suburbs from their parent’s garage, the pair — dressed in full studded black leather outfits, teased hair and goth-y makeup — try to shred only to realize their hair whipping is causing a very uncool side effect.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Whilst The Washington Post reports efforts are made to disguise the latter payments, there are still fears they could be identified by people with the requisite know-how.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
-
The group then schussed back to the village by torch-light, chased by ski patrollers disguised as Bond villains.—
Jen Murphy,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Combine candied cherries, grated lemon rind and 1/4 cup of dry ingredients.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2025
-
The palate features ripe lychee, candied orange peel, and apricot flavors, balanced by a subtle bitterness and spice notes of nutmeg, clove, ginger, and cardamom.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Hertz opened the gate and greeted me warmly, clad in Blundstones and black wind-resistant gear.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2025
-
The entertainment included performances by at least one topless dancer who at the end was clad only in a G-string.—
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
arkansasonline.com,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
This protects your data in transit and masks your IP address to keep your location private.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Tor browser Many people are familiar with VPNs, or virtual private networks, which act kind of like a tunnel between your device and the internet that can mask where your internet traffic is coming from.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
The company also sells various accessories that go in between the panels to spruce them up, like wine racks, shelves, and hooks.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
21 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Its vessels engage in a series of tactics to camouflage their activities, including blacking out their identification systems and falsifying their positions.—
Dominique Soguel,
The Christian Science Monitor,
12 Feb. 2025
-
Samsung The Frame Pro TV Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Samsung’s The Frame TV appealed to many consumers with an aesthetically pleasing design and the ability to camouflage itself as a piece of art in a home’s decor.—
Andrew Liszewski,
The Verge,
7 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near dress up
Cite this Entry
“Dress up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress%20up. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share