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
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Recent Examples of dress up
Things get stranger as the rest of the guests file inside (Brit’s husband looking like a toddler dressed up for Easter Sunday), awaiting brunch and Brit’s brand announcement.
—
Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 26 May 2025
To keep the cub from forming bonds with people that could jeopardize his return to the wild, staff members charged with his care are dressing up in bear costumes, including a mask, fur coat and leather gloves.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Salvo dresses up in waterproof material and a mask.
—Arturo Conde, NBC news, 23 May 2025
Most users won’t be trying to dress up minors (or the vice president) in low-cut gowns.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress up
Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 26 May 2025
To keep the cub from forming bonds with people that could jeopardize his return to the wild, staff members charged with his care are dressing up in bear costumes, including a mask, fur coat and leather gloves.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Salvo dresses up in waterproof material and a mask.
—Arturo Conde, NBC news, 23 May 2025
Most users won’t be trying to dress up minors (or the vice president) in low-cut gowns.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dress up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dress up
Verb
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Kardashian shared details from her graduation party, like her youngest son Psalm West dressed as a lawyer with a briefcase and lunch placemats depicting her flashcards from studying.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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That’s Damon Brown dressed as Professor X, and those Ghostbusters are Jason Paul, Brandon Sims, Charles Johnson and Mathew Woods, members of the Central Arkansas Ghostbusters Facebook group.—
Sean Clancy,
Arkansas Online,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Of course, the sister’s lives face greater disruption when the alien Stitch enters their lives disguised as a dog, sabotaging Nani’s desperate attempts to get her life in order.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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Khare, 32, changed into an elaborate old man disguise, complete with a latex mask, in a nearby phone booth before entering the premiere as a guest, as revealed in her TikTok and Instagram videos.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
21 May 2025
Verb
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This finish is long and dry, with lingering notes of juniper, spice, and candied citrus zest.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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There are homemade cookies, pastries and fudge, pickled quail eggs, candied jalapenos, barbecue spices and sauces, and walls of beef jerky and candy.—
Catherine Muccigrosso,
Charlotte Observer,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Audience members, some clad in MAGA caps, were largely supportive of Trump.—
Emma Whitford,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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The exchange doesn’t quite go as planned, and the kidnapper and his crew are way more organized and forward-planning than the detectives anticipated, repeatedly throwing them off the trail with decoys and swaps between motorcyclists all clad in the same head-to-toe black.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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Luckily grad school was in person; we were masked and testing every week.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
25 May 2025
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These threats masked any optimism from the U.S. and China continuing their trade talks.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Whether your patio could use sprucing or your living room needs reinvigorating, doing home makeovers on a budget is tough.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
22 May 2025
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Today’s Amazon deals are all about sprucing things up: your desktop setup, your tablet experience, and your audio at home or the beach.—
Shubham Yewale,
PCMAG,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, contrary to the impression given by the headlines, ESG is still in the game, albeit more camouflaged than in the past, quite often, as predicted some years back by Aswath Damodaran, ...—
Andrew Stuttaford,
National Review,
20 May 2025
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The benefit of hindsight, however, camouflages the prevailing circumstances when Enciso was loaned out.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dress up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dress%20up. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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