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• thumbs-up
  thumbs-up

  noun

  an act, instance, or gesture of assent, approval, or the like.
• thumbs up
  thumbs up

  Expressions of approval and disapproval respectively: “The two critics disagreed about the movie; one gave it thumbs up, the other thumbs down.” In the gladiatorial contests of ancient Rome, a thumbs-up gesture from the crowd meant that the loser would live; thumbs down meant death.

thumbs-up

American  

[thuhmz-uhp] / ˈθʌmzˈʌp /

noun

Informal.

thumbs-ups plural

1. an act, instance, or gesture of assent, approval, or the like.

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thumbs up Cultural  

1. Expressions of approval and disapproval respectively: “The two critics disagreed about the movie; one gave it thumbs up, the other thumbs down.” In the gladiatorial contests of ancient Rome, a thumbs-up gesture from the crowd meant that the loser would live; thumbs down meant death.

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thumbs up Idioms  

1. An expression of approval or hopefulness, as in The town said thumbs up on building the elderly housing project. The antonym thumbs down indicates disapproval or rejection, as in Mother gave us thumbs down on serving beer at our party. Alluding to crowd signals used in Roman amphitheaters, these idioms were first recorded in English about 1600. In ancient times the meaning of the gestures was opposite that of today. Thumbs down indicated approval; thumbs up, rejection. Exactly when the reversal occurred is not known, but the present conventions were established by the early 1900s.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thumbs-ups
  plural

Etymology

Origin of thumbs-up

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thumbs-up thumbs up thumbs-ups

Earlier this year, SpaceX’s request for a smaller expansion was given the thumbs-up.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

Some stopped him for pictures as he beamed down the camera and flashed a thumbs-up.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Margarita Aaron, the actor’s wife, told Fox News and TMZ on Monday that her husband is “making significant progress” in his recovery, making minor body movements including opening his eyes and giving a thumbs-up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026

Want its thumbs-up for a CEO’s pay package?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2025

She nods at it and gives me a thumbs-up.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

On Tuesday afternoon, Harry smiled and gave a thumbs up to crowds as he stepped into his car following an Invictus Games event.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

She gives me a thumbs up, and with a kiss and a warm hug, we say goodbye.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026

“Give a thumbs up if you think he should tell his friend,” Collins later urges the crowd.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026

The FDA blessed its trial design, and agency staffers gave Moderna a thumbs up to apply for approval last August based on the results.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026

Abby gave him another wink and two thumbs up.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

Along with 31 thumbs-ups, eight angry faces and several other emojis, the post got 24 comments.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2025

At last, I’ll be able to see everyone’s hearts and thumbs-ups.

From Slate ● Mar. 18, 2023

Driving a vehicle that garners that level of attention means lots of nods, thumbs-ups, and the brief conversation after parking in a public lot.

From The Verge ● Aug. 8, 2022

When the jurors were discharged and Guzman stood to leave the courtroom, the couple traded thumbs-ups.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2019

Thorn gave her two thumbs-ups and said it so cheerfully, Seven knew she meant it sincerely.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega