1
as in to brighten
to become glad or hopeful
we perked up once the sun came out
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
the dog tilts her head and perks up her ears whenever someone speaks to her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perk (up)
Verb
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How to Eat To brighten up your winter menu, make a tropical-fruit juice salad with kiwi.—
Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 7 Jan. 2026
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An InStyle writer swears by the Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer for brightening her dark under-eye circles and acne marks.—
Verb
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Once the polish is fully dry and hardened, use a credit card or your fingers to lift under the blob and break it off.—
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Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds to lift the Los Angeles Rams to a dramatic 34-31 wild-card round win over the Carolina Panthers in the opening game of the NFL playoffs on Saturday.—
Verb
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Wanda Sykes made sure that comedian Ricky Gervais — a comedian whose past material raised eyebrows and allegations of transphobia — shared his big 2026 Golden Globes night with a higher power and the transgender community.—
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One of them, fist raised to the sky, let out a long yell, the hoarse shout of a gold panner.—
Verb
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Recently, researchers have made a major leap forward by engineering a novel cathode material that dramatically elevates performance, bringing us closer to practical, high-efficiency thermal energy systems.—
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These ones elevate the trend — pun intended — with comfortable platform soles and double side stripe appliqués.—
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Cite this Entry
“Perk (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perk%20%28up%29. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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