spruce up
phrasal verb
Did you know?
titivate, spruce up, smarten up, or spiff up?
Titivate, spruce, smarten, and spiff all mean "to make a person or thing neater or more attractive." Titivate often refers to making small additions or alterations in attire ("titivate the costume with sequins and other accessories"), but it can also be used figuratively (as in "titivating the script for Broadway"). Spruce up is sometimes used for cosmetic changes or renovations that give the appearance of newness ("spruce up the house with new shutters and fresh paint before trying to sell it"). Smarten up and spiff up both mean to improve in appearance often by making more neat or stylish ("the tailor smartened up the suit with minor alterations"; "he needed some time to spiff himself up for the party"). The origins of titivate are uncertain, but it may have been formed from the English words tidy and renovate.
Examples of spruce up in a Sentence
Shea Simmons, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025
The Gurnee Park District is developing plans to spruce up its Viking Park holdings after nearly 25 years.
—Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
Think classic martinis being spruced up with pickle brine, wasabi and seasonal ingredients like amaretto and cinnamon.
—Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
From storage baskets for cutting boards to stylish utensil crocks, Ina Garten shared her must-have kitchen items with Food Network to help her fans spruce up their kitchens with her daily essentials.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spruce up
Cite this Entry
“Spruce up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spruce%20up. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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