1
as in to brighten
to become glad or hopeful
we perked up once the sun came out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
the dog tilts her head and perks up her ears whenever someone speaks to her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perk (up)
Verb
-
Sunshine Sean needs to lighten the mood and brighten the room.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
23 Sep. 2025 -
In Pynchon’s best works, his bleakness is brightened, in both senses—illuminated and made lighter—by the sweep of his vision and his affection for his fallible, foolhardy, well-meaning, wildly outmatched main characters.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Girls soccer Jaydin Simpson scored the lone goal in the first half to lift Beverly (5-2-1) to a 1-0 Northeastern Conference win over Peabody.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The late offense lifted the hottest team in baseball to its eighth-straight victory.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As he was driven away, Matthews raised a thumbs-up to the crowd, drawing an ovation from USC fans and a huddle of his Spartans teammates, who circled together in support before returning to the sideline.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
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Rock for First Responders benefit concert; another year of showing their support for the event, which raises money for essential equipment and mental health programs for Santa Barbara’s first responders.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For Lesnar, a win keeps the beast image intact and elevates him ahead in future feuds.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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Another area of low pressure will bring more moisture into southern parts of California and Arizona on Sunday, elevating the threat for flash flooding.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
20 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Perk (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perk%20%28up%29. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
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