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checkup

American  
[chek-uhp] / ˈtʃɛkˌʌp /

noun

  1. a comprehensive physical examination.

    He went to the doctor for a checkup.

  2. an examination or close scrutiny, as for verification, accuracy, or comparison.

    They gave the motor a checkup.
checkup British  
/ ˈtʃɛkˌʌp /

noun

  1. an examination to see if something is in order

  2. med a medical examination, esp one taken at regular intervals to verify a normal state of health or discover a disease in its early stages

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to investigate or make an inquiry into (a person's character, evidence, etc), esp when suspicions have been aroused

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of checkup

1885–90, noun use of verb phrase check up

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Doctors’ visits rarely exceed $50, and we can get a yearly checkup and comprehensive panel of blood tests for about the same amount.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

He expected to get an update when he went back in two weeks for a checkup.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

That kind of invasive sampling is not something that can be done during a routine checkup.

From Science Daily • Dec. 17, 2025

In October, he said that he received an MRI at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center during a visit the White House said was part of his "routine yearly checkup".

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

But on a checkup visit, he was dismayed to find that the manager was focusing his sales effort not on Buicks but on ponderous Thomas Flyers.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.