1
as in brightening
to become glad or hopeful
we perked up once the sun came out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lifting
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 perking (up)
Verb
-
This effort will focus on the galactic bulge, where star density is much higher, and will take advantage of the fact that a planet can act as a small gravitational lens, briefly brightening any background stars that pass between it and Earth.—
JOHN TIMMER,
ArsTechnica,
23 Apr. 2026 -
Her mother, Lianna Charles Moore, previously described her daughters as always laughing, smiling and brightening her family's day.—
Christina Fan,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Removing these bargain fares is also lifting the average ticket price.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Robbie Ray combined with four relievers on a six-hitter, lifting the Giants to their first home win against the Marlins since August of 2024.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This suggestion is a personal choice because, for some, looking up information on the internet might be the easier decision.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Some travel areas are looking up already, with hotel room revenue up 4% year over year in the county in the first quarter of 2026.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Walker was also experiencing a mental health issue and was shot after raising a knife.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Several early tests failed, raising questions about the program’s future.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Depending on the evening, dinner is served outside under the open sky or inside a softly glowing hoop house.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
-
What's left behind is a glowing core, known as a white dwarf, which is sending out radiation that causes the gas shells to glow.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Silk skirts are a staple of my travel wardrobe, taking up minimal suitcase space while stretching my outfit options.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In a mostly party-line April 28 vote, 50 Republicans and one Democrat blocked the Senate from taking up the measure.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Klinger warns that adding excess fat, calories, and sugar can rapidly transform coffee into a high-calorie beverage, elevating the risk of weight gain.—
Embry Roberts,
Martha Stewart,
25 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to refocusing its strategy, Comcast has changed up its leadership structure, including elevating Mike Cavanagh to co-CEO alongside Roberts.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Perking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perking%20%28up%29. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
