brush up

verb

brushed up; brushing up; brushes up

transitive verb

1

: to improve or polish as if by brushing

2

: to renew one's skill in

brush up your Spanish

intransitive verb

: to refresh one's memory : renew one's skill

brush up on math

brushup

ˈbrəsh-ˌəp 

noun

Examples of brush up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For players looking to brush up on the series’ best installments, both Monster Hunter: World (2018) and Monster Hunter Rise (2021) offer accessible, but deep entryways into the franchise. —Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025

Cameron’s hair was brushed up into sleek space buns, with an unexpected accessory adorning them: the OG Apple headphones wrapped around each bun like twine holding together a bunch of flowers. —Morgan Fargo, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2025

For plants, brush up on watering routines, light requirements, and general care tips. —Sho Dewan, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

Read the full Kensington report to learn more about the solo travel trend, and brush up on the mistakes to avoid when traveling by yourself. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for brush up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

brush up

verb

: to refresh one's memory, skill, or knowledge

brush up on your Spanish