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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

touch-up touch up

The company had previously used so-called shadow factories for touch-up work on its bestselling 737 and 787 models until it closed down the last of those lines in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 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

After the hairs began to grow back, I went to see her for a touch-up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2022

I was missing the idea of Mom, not the actual human with her thin lips, round cheeks, and dyed blonde hair that needs a touch-up after so many weeks in hiding.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

I want to touch up everything at all of my properties, so it continues to look like the pictures because your reviews are so important.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

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

"That's almost like asking can we touch up the Mona Lisa a little bit."

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 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 would make my way by touch up the dark staircase and come to rest against the door, the thud of blood in my ears.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

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