tune-up
noun
an adjustment, as of a motor, to improve working order or condition.
tune-up
American
[toon-uhp, tyoon-]
/ ˈtunˌʌp, ˈtjun- /
noun
-
an adjustment, as of a motor, to improve working order or condition.
The car needs a tune-up badly.
-
Informal. a preparatory activity or warm-up, as before a contest or game.
The track meet served as a tune-up for the Olympics.
tune up
British
verb
-
to adjust (a musical instrument) to a particular pitch, esp a standard one
-
(esp of an orchestra or other instrumental ensemble) to tune (instruments) to a common pitch
-
(tr) to adjust (an engine) in (a car, etc) to improve performance
noun
tune up
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of tune-up
First recorded in 1945–50; noun use of verb phrase tune up
Explanation
A tune-up is a procedure that's done periodically to keep a car running well. You might want to take your car in for a tune-up before leaving on a cross-country road trip. A tune-up is typically a series of small repairs and adjustments to a car's engine — not so much to fix something that's broken but to help the car run more efficiently or to keep it running longer. Sometimes tune-up is also used in the context of sports or exercise: "The volleyball team had one last tune-up before the big match." Tune-up comes from the "musical adjustment" meaning of tune.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He put his name on the start list for the upcoming Cincinnati Open—a standard tune-up for the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The Lakers reached the maximum number of tune-up games last year and could use any additional reps to prepare for this season with nine new players.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
He estimates the tune-up can help a household save up to 15% on an electric bill, “especially if coils are dirty and airflow is restricted,” Rogers said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
The two teams now head into the fifth match on Saturday, the final tune-up ahead of the T20 World Cup starting February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
Meaning when I need to return to the hospital for a tune-up, I miss out on things like a class trip to the art museum or now our senior trip to Cabo.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Only three of the top 10 players participated in the Queen’s Club tune up tournament in London, compared to six playing last week in Berlin in a contest of similar scale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
Tuchel will rightly say Uruguay and Japan are the tough tests England required to tune up for the World Cup, but the burning question is still the same and has not been answered.
From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026
Flutes and drums tune up as spectators begin to line the curbs and balconies along the street.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025
Prepare your ooooohs, tune up those aaaaahs, baseball’s best player is officially swinging his way to Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
Figure 6.31: Moving tune up to E minor puts it in a better key for sopranos.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
