working up

present participle of work up

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 working up Some have already talked to a parent; others are working up the nerve. — Carolyn O'Laughlin, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 While working up the nerve to kill her, Loftis discovers that Ruth is secretly the mother of his late wife Lauren (Meredith Casey), making his son Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick) the final descendant. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 June 2026 The other two are still working up to it, but the team isn't going anywhere. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 Starting from bottom of bowl and working up, mix with your hands (like tossing a salad) until mixture starts to look dry again. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 June 2026 Opt for lower concentrations (think 5–10% instead of 15–20%) and ease in gradually, starting a few times a week before working up to daily use. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 8 May 2026 Hope is getting dirty, working up a sweat and seeing action. — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026 In the early 1990s, Porsche quietly began work on a V-10 engine for Formula 1; when that fell through, the idea sat on the shelf until the company began working up plans for a new Le Mans racer towards the end of the decade. — Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026 All of this adds up to a more comfortable base for visitors to return to after working up a sweat under the desert sun. — Mark Johanson, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for working up
Verb
  • StudioCanal and Deadpan Pictures are developing a live-action television adaptation of Katie Kirby’s bestselling The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks book series.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This independent organization compiles lists of needs for developing communities (think school supplies or clothing), and guests can bring these items from home to give to those in need.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • John only found peace by giving up the ring, turning down the gig, and forging his own path.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Building materials tough enough for these extreme conditions usually demand heavy industrial processing, such as repeatedly rolling or forging hot metal.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Concierge specials such as creating your own gin at a nearby Palma distillery or watching espadrilles being made in Palma’s Olivar market are original diversions.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Those that don’t risk creating fleets of intelligent systems capable of making very expensive and detrimental mistakes.
    — Tony Grout, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Two years of eating brownies and pizza as meals, never working out, and entrepreneurial pressure had snowballed into gastrointestinal reflux disease.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • This pre-season, Jadon Sancho spent time at Flixton FC, working out in private training sessions on the banks of the once busy Manchester Ship Canal.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Mandel started hammering out the pilot with showrunner Patrick Somerville (the two currently have permission to sell the scripts should another network show interest) but spent most of her days thinking about what her next novel might be.
    — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • However, both sides of the debate left the door open to hammering out a potential compromise in the coming days before either version faces a vote by the full City Council.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!