brush up

British  

verb

1. to refresh one's knowledge, skill, or memory of (a subject)

2. to make (a person or oneself) tidy, clean, or neat as after a journey

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noun

1. the act or an instance of tidying one's appearance (esp in the phrase wash and brush-up )

brush up Idioms  

1. Clean, refurbish, as in We plan to get the house brushed up in time for the party . [c. 1600]

2. Also, brush up on . Review, refresh one's memory, as in Nell brushed up on her Spanish before going to Honduras , or I'm brushing up my knowledge of town history before I speak at the club . [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

Modern audiences brush up against directors trying to make 21st-century opera fresh.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Rowdy,” I whispered, “something is messing around with the brush up there. You don’t suppose it could be that smart monkey?”

From Literature

With the typically busy spring season around the corner, buyers and sellers wondering what this means for their plans shouldn’t panic—but brushing up on local real-estate trends wouldn’t hurt.

From Barron's

With the typically busy spring season around the corner, buyers and sellers wondering what this means for their plans shouldn’t panic—but brushing up on local real-estate trends wouldn’t hurt.

From Barron's

Biathlon fans brush up your Italian -- but also your German, for the events this Winter Olympics will be in South Tyrol in Italy, an autonomous province bordering Austria and Switzerland.

From Barron's