to put extra or finishing touches to
to enhance, renovate, or falsify by putting extra touches to
to touch up a photograph
to stimulate or rouse as by a tap or light blow
slang to touch or caress (someone), esp to arouse sexual feelings
First recorded in 1880–85; noun use of verb phrase touch up
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the team doesn’t just apply a flattering touch-up to sickly markets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
People aspire to capture their essence by wearing their fragrances and makeup, which Rihanna acknowledged by subtly promoting her Fenty cosmetics line mid-performance with an on-camera touch-up.
From Salon • Feb. 17, 2023
Also on the list: microfilm preparer, telephone quotation clerk, sack repairer, tube operator, eyeglass frame polisher, touch-up screener for printed circuit boards and stem mounter for lighting fixtures.
From Washington Post • Dec. 31, 2022
The initial series of three treatments with the MonaLisa Touch typically runs between $2,700 and $3,000, with touch-up sessions costing extra, while three sessions with the Votiva device can cost upwards of $3,500.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2022
Al surely needs a touch-up before going on camera again.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
