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 • Feb. 27, 2026

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 • Feb. 2, 2026

Schoenfeld recommended that those who live in high fire risk areas brush up on evacuation plans and make sure they have a go-bag with essential items as wildfire season approaches.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025

“People want to brush up against one another a bit more now,” said Café Kestral owner Dennis Spina to Eater.

From Salon • Oct. 18, 2025

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

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls