to raise (oneself or another) from a recumbent to an upright or alert sitting posture
(intr) to remain out of bed and awake, esp until a late hour
informal (intr) to become suddenly interested or alert
devaluation of the dollar made the money market sit up
Rise to a sitting position from lying down, as in The sick child sat up and asked for a drink of water . [Early 1200s]
Stay up later than usual, as in The nurse sat up with her all night long . [Mid-1500s]
Sit with the spine erect, as in She was always telling the students to sit up . [Early 1700s]
Become suddenly alert, as in The students sat up when he brought up the test . The same sense appears in the related sit up and take notice , as in When he mentioned the arrival of a movie star, they all sat up and took notice . [Late 1800s]
First recorded in 1835–45; noun use of verb phrase sit up
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The test: Technically a curl-up, this exercise is a partial sit-up, done with your back in a C-shape and your arms crossed over your chest.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 24, 2024
"A few things over the past few days have made people sit-up, realise the difficulties facing Rusal," an aluminium industry source said.
From Reuters ● Oct. 18, 2022
“We take a breath, and then when we do the sit-up, we exhale, and that relieves some of the pressure.”
From Scientific American ● Sep. 22, 2022
“Ow, that 50th sit-up – man, will I be paying ab-tax tomorrow!”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 28, 2022
My stomach pulls in tight, like working through a final sit-up.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
So, when Goldman Sachs slashes its target for the Kospi benchmark index by 25%, investors will need to sit up and pay attention as semiconductor stocks account for almost one-fifth of the S&P 500.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Gill Walton, from the RCM, said the settlement should "make every NHS employer sit up and take notice"
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
“Rubber Soul” is the Beatles album that made musos as diverse as Grace Slick and Elvis Costello sit up and take notice — it’s also Harry Styles’ favorite.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The finished bowl is bright enough to make you sit up a little straighter.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
“Only a doll, you may be thinking, Eben. An old woman’s doll at that. However, once you hear Miss Zeldy’s story, even a young man like you will sit up and take notice.”
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Now I do 200 sit-ups, 120 push-ups and then these leg lifts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
Porciuncula also weaves in workouts on the deck, such as planks, sit-ups and crunches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2026
From doing 300 sit-ups a day to eating 6,000 calories, BBC Sport takes a look at Aspinall's intense training camp.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2025
For the core, find a patch of grass to do sit-ups.
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2024
Coach West has us all partner up and start doing sit-ups.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
