tone-up

American

[tohn-uhp] / ˈtoʊnˌʌp /

noun

an exercise for toning up one's body.

tone up British

verb

(adverb) to make or become more vigorous, healthy, etc

exercise tones up the muscles

"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 tone-up

Noun use of the verb phrase tone 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.

See Examples For:

tone up

When Antonia Duffin, 34, started going to the gym, she wanted to lose weight and tone up.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

The 6-foot-4 Thompson posted a game-high 20 points, including 18 on the attack at the net as she set the tone up front for an American team seeking its first gold medal in the sport.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 24, 2021

Instead, "Promising Young Woman" shifts its tone up again.

From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2020

Hooking up with a new corporate sponsor, he starts his off-season training at a top-tier site where, apparently, newbies such as Jackson Storm tone up.

From New York Times ● Jun. 14, 2017

"Rather depressed, though I hope to tone up again."

From Bart Ridgeley A Story of Northern Ohio by A. G. Riddle

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