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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

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

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

Dr. Lange was impressed with how quickly I could detect a repainting, fake, or touch-up.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

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

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

There will be two commercial breaks per hour running three to four minutes each, during which candidates can use the restroom or touch up makeup.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 9, 2023

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