do up

verb

did up; done up; doing up; does up

transitive verb

1
: fasten
do up the buttons of a shirt
… an elderly lady with her jacket done up tightly against the wind …Sue Lloyd-Roberts
2
a
: to deck (someone) out : clothe
The waitstaff was done up in western attire.
b
: to furnish (something) with something ornamental : decorate
She always does up the house for the holidays.
3
: to prepare (something) for wear or use (as by cleaning or repairing)
"… I'll make the pies and lady fingers tomorrow and do up my white muslin dress. …"Lucy Maud Montgomery
4
a
: to wrap (something) up
do up a package
b
: to prepare and preserve (something) for later use : can entry 2, put up
I did up a bushel of tomatoes.
5
: exhaust, wear out
This contact with righteousness has about done me up!Sinclair Lewis

Examples of do up in a Sentence

the whole house had been done up for Halloween on Wild West Day some of the women came to the office done up as showgirls, while the men were mostly outlaws
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.
An adjoining primary bath is done up in deep jade green onyx. Kerry Pieri, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2025 All the chairs were done up with pale brown pleather, every seat beaten with sweat, with boredom, with generations of flatulence. Caitlyn Murphy, Hazlitt, 13 Nov. 2024 The chef’s counter, meanwhile, is done up in dark stone with moss-green stools. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 30 Dec. 2024 If there’s a tie-in anywhere between a momentous occasion and any four-wheeled vehicle, it’s usually done up with a special exterior graphics package, some higher-trim equipment, and even its very own badge. Peter Nelson, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for do up 

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of do up was in 1666

Dictionary Entries Near do up

Cite this Entry

“Do up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/do%20up. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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