rub up
verb
rubbed up; rubbing up; rubs up
1
: to revive or refresh knowledge of : recall
2
: to improve the keenness of (a mental faculty)
Examples of rub up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This pentagonal structure is the part that rubs up against the C ring.
—
Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Besides the music, the main appeal of raving is the feeling: of heads jolting to the sound of the beat, and sticky bodies rubbing up against one another as night turns into day.
—Álex Maroño Porto, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Many other midlayer face fabrics start to pile after a couple months of use, but the fabric that covers the Atom has stayed intact for years, even when repeatedly rubbing up against the inside of a shell or against a pack.
—Jakob Schiller, Outside, 16 Feb. 2026
The baby tumbled around at the surface, flipping her white belly to the sky and rubbing up against her mother’s back.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rub up
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Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Besides the music, the main appeal of raving is the feeling: of heads jolting to the sound of the beat, and sticky bodies rubbing up against one another as night turns into day.
—Álex Maroño Porto, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Many other midlayer face fabrics start to pile after a couple months of use, but the fabric that covers the Atom has stayed intact for years, even when repeatedly rubbing up against the inside of a shell or against a pack.
—Jakob Schiller, Outside, 16 Feb. 2026
The baby tumbled around at the surface, flipping her white belly to the sky and rubbing up against her mother’s back.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rub up
Cite this Entry
“Rub up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rub%20up. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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