Jump To:

• 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.

---

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

---

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]

---

Etymology

Origin of touch-up

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

touch-up touch up

But the team doesn’t just apply a flattering touch-up to sickly markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026

She tried not to over-process her hair when she had a relaxer, and would sometimes wait six weeks or two months before getting a touch-up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2023

The Coronation Chair, on which King Charles III will sit for part of his ceremony on Saturday, is getting a touch-up.

From New York Times ● May 5, 2023

Then mix touch-up porcelain paint to match the color of the tile as closely as possible.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2023

Aunt Jen and Avery come to pick up Mom and me so we can all go to the curly hair salon Mallory recommended, where Aunt Jen made an appointment to get a color touch-up, too.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

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

Enter the scenic painters, who custom-blend and color-match Hockney’s highly saturated hues to touch up the sets and create a board lined with pieces of painted tape for quick patches before or during a performance.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2024

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

I touch up the gray in her hair and skin as a bonus.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton