work up

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When I’m ready to freshen up my fridge, I tend to work up a loose step ladder depending on my energy and the kind of week I’m having.

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2026

Doing that hard work up front is what makes every decision after it simple and fast.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

Then you work up the chutzpah to share it with other people.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

But Martin, working with pathologist Larry J. Stowell, was able to pinpoint the cause of that “rapid blight”—a fungus, Labyrinthula terrestris—and quickly work up a program to beat it back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

"Then for the next eleven years, I tried to work up the nerve to talk to you."

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins