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
Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2025
The slump continuing into April suggests that Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s antics and work for US President Donald Trump is costing Tesla sales, in spite of the company sprucing up its lineup.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
In the process of sprucing up your backyard for summer?
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2025
From outdoor furniture, including conversation sets and recliners, to gardening tools and decor that’ll spruce up your yard, the site’s sale section has it all, with prices starting at just $9.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 26 Apr. 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 14 May. 2025.
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