worked up 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of worked upnext
as in wrought (up)

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worked up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of work up
as in developed
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

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 worked up
Adjective
Washington School House Hotel is located atop Park Avenue, moments from Main Street, and provides complimentary après-ski fare in the living room for outdoor enthusiasts who have worked up an appetite. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025 Chicago — its fans, its organization and yes, its writers — has clung to that era as tightly as Toews and Kane clung to the Stanley Cup in that famous photo, because there’s been so little else to get worked up about. — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Putting words on the page seems too low stakes to get worked up about, and yet the terror of saying something taboo—or just being boring—feels like a terrible fate to most writers. — David O’Neill, New Yorker, 20 May 2026 Thou shalt not get too worked up about the chat! — Sam Reed, Glamour, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for worked up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worked up
  1. fed up
  2. developed
  3. angry
  4. forged
  5. upset
  6. created
  7. enraged
  8. worked out
Adjective
  • People in one Northville Township, Michigan, neighborhood are fed up after a large hole has formed in their street.
    — Julia Avant, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The veteran fashionista was also reportedly fed up with putting her own dreams on the back burner, as per an insider.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of fed up
Verb
  • Their arrival brings the number of satellites developed for GHGSat to 13.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • This is a sensitive moment for Brazil's democracy Brazil emerged from military dictatorship in 1985 and has since developed into one of the world's largest democracies.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of developed
Adjective
  • To argue that calling them immigrants is technically wrong is like getting angry at people who don’t pronounce Los Feliz the Spanish way.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Sheriff Rick Ramsay said Monday that the father later told detectives that Lopez was angry that prosecutors didn’t offer him any plea deals, so his son planned to leave the country rather than face conviction.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of angry
Verb
  • The show is being forged as a high-end returning TV series and publisher Transworld has already acquired world English-language rights to the novel plus its sequel, which won’t publish until 2028 and 2029 respectively.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • These changes have forged a new mindset among school officials, one that would be unfamiliar to principals of 50 years ago.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of forged
Adjective
  • Legend has it Michael Jackson asked his security to keep fans away from him at a local dive bar, only to become upset when the locals were all too good at treating him like a normal person.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Ultimately, after he was found out to be a con artist, according to his critics, Minnesota media appears to be more so upset that Jamal was not acting in the Somali community’s best interests.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • Past violent offenses by US servicemembers have created deep tension between the US and Japan, particularly on Okinawa, where most of the 50,000 US troops in Japan reside.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The organization, created in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, receives no government funding, and raises money through private donations and sales of retail merchandise.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of created
Adjective
  • And not just any velociraptor, but the enraged dinosaur that pushed franchise champion Rachel Reilly into a volcano, thereby burning the reality TV icon to a crisp in a sea of lava.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Imagine the ripe smell of swamp-wet dogs, the acrid stench of overheated, enraged bear, the slippery warm blood of pack members already lost; the simply insufferable noise and confusion in that dank little hole.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of enraged
Verb
  • The defense, when all was said and done, worked out fine Sunday, though.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Dolphins opted to sign none of the four backs who worked out for them on Tuesday -- former Canes standout Damien Martinez, former Titans fourth-rounder Hassan Haskins, Davie University School alum Kenny McIntosh and rookie Elija-Tau Tolliver.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of worked out

Browse Nearby Words

worked over
worked up
worker
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Cite this Entry

“Worked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worked%20up. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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