bone up

verb

boned up; boning up; bones up

intransitive verb

1
: to try to master necessary information quickly : cram
bone up for the exam
2
: to renew one's skill or refresh one's memory
boned up on the speech just before giving it

Examples of bone up in a Sentence

I suggest you bone up a bit on torts before the next attempt at the bar exam.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Cue outrage among many Bluesky users, particularly those who have boned up on EU data protection law, which does not look kindly on reusing people’s data without their permission. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024 Ceja also boned up on creator Malloy’s interpretation of Natasha. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024 So for anyone who needs to bone up on all things Dragon, here’s your chance. Basma Bedawi, Vulture, 14 June 2024 In preparation for filming, Murray had been boning up on screenwriting guru Robert McKee’s rules of story structure. Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker, 15 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for bone up 

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bone up was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near bone up

Cite this Entry

“Bone up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bone%20up. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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