dresses up

verb

present tense third-person singular of dress up
1
as in dresses
to put on one's best or formal clothes we always like to dress up when going to parties

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in disguises
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
as in spruces
to make more desirable dressed up the house with new windows and a paint job before putting it on the market

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in clothes
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

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 dresses up The eye-catching hem instantly dresses up a pair of basic blue jeans, especially when styled with a blouse or sweater. — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026 In the dark comedy Bad Santa, Thornton plays Willie, a miserable, heavy-drinking con man who dresses up as Santa with his elf sidekick (Tony Cox) to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2026 The easy style slips right onto the foot, offers actual support, and dresses up your favorite wardrobe staples. — Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026 In a town that dresses up the seafood shack classics, Barbary Coast’s Mediterranean menu stands apart. — Madeline Bilis, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026 Allie dresses up as Jennifer Lopez—plunging green Versace dress and all. — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026 Creamy Parmesan sauce dresses up bowtie pasta, collard greens, asparagus, and peas for a simple and nutritious main course. — Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 24 Apr. 2026 These men are supported by Nancy, a woman who dresses up in a nurse’s costume but seems to have no medical training. — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026 The performer dresses up in a Bigfoot costume and plays along with electronic music on the saxophone. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dresses up
  1. dresses
  2. disguises
  3. sweetens
  4. masks
  5. improves
  6. conceals
  7. enhances
  8. hides
Verb
  • New to the collaboration is the Adidas BW Army, rebranded by Wales Bonner as the Adidas PW Pony, which dresses the iconic German Army Trainer silhouette in black and khaki pony hair uppers that are contrasted with stamped lizard print leather.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Possessing a Midwestern accent, Calvin Klein dresses, Black American skin and hair care products, and a butter-pecan skin tone, Ericka quickly wins over the crew Paulina has ruled for years.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dresses
Verb
  • With a virtual private network, your requests are pushed through an anonymized server in a different location, which disguises your identifying information.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
  • L’Oréal Paris’ True Match Radiant Serum Concealer checks both boxes, delivering medium coverage that disguises dark circles, redness, blemishes, and discoloration without looking heavy.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of disguises
Verb
  • Murphy also mentions Zernell Gillie’s gourmand-adjacent Jazz, wherein honey sweetens tobacco, mahogany, and resinous opoponax (a type of myrrh).
    — Lauren Valenti, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The legislation also sweetens conditions for productions that choose to monetize a portion of their tax credits instead of putting the full value toward their tax liability.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sweetens
Verb
  • Still, this growth masks a widespread sense of anxiety, driven far more by Washington politics than anything to do with market fundamentals, according to a survey of regional oil companies by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in late September.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The overall improvement also masks differences among companies assessed in both years.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of masks
Verb
  • Attempting a conventional co-deposition strategy improves surface wettability, yet strong intermolecular interactions between transport layer molecules and perovskite components disrupt both substrate anchoring and crystal formation.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The 180-degree is your typical straight screwdriver mode, while the 90-degree improves your grip and boosts torque for tougher jobs.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of improves
Verb
  • But the tragedy conceals something nobody knows, and the falsehoods about Jung-hyun keep growing.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The three-word message conceals the depth of a man worthy of dissection.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of conceals
Verb
  • Advance also introduces new dark, rich indigo shades with a white core, which enhances chip effects for dynamic highs and lows after the wash.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Its Digital Strategy, launched in 2023, aims to digitalise all aspects of life in the emirate and establish a system that enhances the digital economy.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of enhances
Verb
  • While the fabric is satin, the black color hides stains effortlessly.
    — Anna Traver, InStyle, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The malicious software hides inside the phone's firmware, giving attackers powerful access that ordinary apps never receive.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of hides

Browse Nearby Words

dresses down
dresses up
dressing
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Cite this Entry

“Dresses up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dresses%20up. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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