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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of work up
Still, several commenters questioned why the bride was so worked up about Carl's wedding attire.
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Erin Clack, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024
How else could a 20-year-old from a small town in Mexico who didn’t speak English or understand anything about this strange city have worked up the nerve to stare down the New York Yankees in the World Series?
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
Recognizing that, Fifita and McMillan worked up a new tactic to throw at Hunter last fall: the jump ball.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2024
Brian’s Proposal Party After hemming and hawing over proposing to his boyfriend Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), Brian finally works up the nerve to do so and buys a ring.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for work up 
Erin Clack, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024
How else could a 20-year-old from a small town in Mexico who didn’t speak English or understand anything about this strange city have worked up the nerve to stare down the New York Yankees in the World Series?
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
Recognizing that, Fifita and McMillan worked up a new tactic to throw at Hunter last fall: the jump ball.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2024
Brian’s Proposal Party After hemming and hawing over proposing to his boyfriend Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), Brian finally works up the nerve to do so and buys a ring.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for work up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work up
Verb
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The team developed a set of robotic duck feet that replicated the natural swimming motion of a mallard on the water.Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
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Users can see a developing fire on the map, represented by a glowing yellow dot well before its perimeter is reported to the NIFC.Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Between the lines: PBM reform has forged some unusual coalitions in Congress.Peter Sullivan, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
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In the world of social impact, where corporate responsibility intersects with purposeful leadership, Jeremy Brown has forged a unique path.Afdhel Aziz, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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In a testament to the power of libraries creating a sense of community through programs, a patron shared a wonderful anecdote recently with our youth services librarian, Melissa Burke.Barbara D. Hathaway, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
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The precursor to the Constitution and replaced by that document, the Articles of Confederation created the framework of a federal government while preserving the sovereignty of the states. 1920: The first meeting of the Assembly of the League of Nations took place in Geneva, Switzerland.Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Taylor works out of a squat, grayish building on a residential street near the railroad tracks.Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2024
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Disagreements can usually be worked out, and a few words can matter and help with taxes later.Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near work up
Cite this Entry
“Work up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work%20up. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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