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• touch-up
  touch-up

  noun

  an act or instance of touching up.
• touch up
  touch up

  verb

  to put extra or finishing touches to

touch-up

American  

[tuhch-uhp] / ˈtʌtʃˌʌp /

noun

1. an act or instance of touching up.

   Her makeup needed a touch-up.

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touch up British  

verb

1. to put extra or finishing touches to

2. to enhance, renovate, or falsify by putting extra touches to

   to touch up a photograph

3. to stimulate or rouse as by a tap or light blow

4. slang to touch or caress (someone), esp to arouse sexual feelings

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noun

1. a renovation or retouching, as of a painting

touch up Idioms  

1. Make minor changes or improvements, as in This wall needs some touching up but not complete repainting. [Early 1700s]

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Etymology

Origin of touch-up

First recorded in 1880–85; noun use of verb phrase touch up

Example Sentences

In a behind-the-scenes film shared by Coke, a voice-over discusses the “team of artists” who “work frame-by-frame, often pixel-by-pixel” to touch up and tweak the festive images generated by the AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025

"It was all combed over, really flat, sprayed with almost half a can of the root touch up sprays and building fibres," he said.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

He credited that in part to drills arranged by Kraken assistant coach Jay Leach to touch up certain aspects of his game and build his confidence.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 9, 2024

Two commercial breaks will run per hour, during which candidates can use the restroom and touch up makeup.

From Washington Times • Aug. 9, 2023

After the slow dance, my first ever, I’m in the bathroom—it’s cruddy—and I look at myself in the mirror and touch up the small bit of brown eyeliner I’m wearing.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King