press-up

American  

[pres-uhp] / ˈprɛsˌʌp /

noun

British.

1. push-up.

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press-up British  

noun

1. Also called (US and Canadian): push-up.  an exercise in which the body is alternately raised from and lowered to the floor by the arms only, the trunk being kept straight with the toes and hands resting on the floor

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Etymology

Origin of press-up

First recorded in 1945–50; noun use of verb phrase press up

Compare meaning

How does press-up compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• press-up vs. push-up

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

press-up

A 98-year-old man has defeated a reporter nearly 70 years his junior in a press-up contest.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

The plank position, which resembles a press-up, with elbows directly beneath shoulders, legs stretched out behind, strengthens the abdomen.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2023

So instead of endless press-up and squat variations, this year, I’ve switched to running every other day as my primary form of exercise.

From The Verge ● Aug. 1, 2022

From a press-up position bring one leg up as close as you can to your chest, before repeating with the opposite leg.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 28, 2019

But then even more spectacularly, it does what looks like a press-up and then gets up again.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 14, 2015