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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

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

I do see the emotional allure of parental loose-end-tying and i-dotting and touch-up spackling — you want to make sure they have the best possible chances in life.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 7, 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

“They should have the area cleared and cleaned up in about five or ten minutes. You better have Rosemary do some touch-up on your hair. It looks a little flat.”

From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar

In a highly anticipated pitching matchup, the Dodgers drive Jacob Misiorowski out of the game early, but the Brewers touch up Tarik Skubal and get the 2-1 victory.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 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

New photos taken during filming show some of our favourite Gavin & Stacey stars on set, with Ruth Jones, as Nessa, getting a quick touch up to her make-up while filming on Trinity Street.

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 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

The treatment had not worked as rapidly or completely as we had hoped, but I had a dark undercoating of pigment which I could touch up perfectly with stain.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

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