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tune-up

[ toon-uhp, tyoon- ]
/ ˈtunˌʌp, ˈtyun- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR tune-up ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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Origin of tune-up

First recorded in 1945–50; noun use of verb phrase tune up

Words nearby tune-up

tune in, tuneless, tune out, tuner, tunesmith, tune-up, Tunga penetrans, tungo, tung oil, tung-oil tree, tungstate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to tune-up

discipline, training, study, use, experience, preparation, drill, action, operation, instruction, workout, practice, schooling, teaching, education, guidance, exercise, coaching, seasoning, assignment

Example sentences from the Web for tune-up

  • The health-care system is broken and in need of an overhaul, not a tune-up.

    Obamacare May Be Dangerous to Your Health|Richard Woodward|November 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST

  • I've caught up with my reading, and Mihul has put me through two of her tune-up commando courses.

    Legacy|James H Schmitz

  • It had turned bleak now, the fuffs of the mountain-winds began to tune-up and fife, the gloom deepened toward night.

    The Last Miracle|M. P. Shiel

British Dictionary definitions for tune-up

tune up

verb (adverb)

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

adjustments made to an engine to improve its performance
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with tune-up

tune up

Adjust machinery so it is in proper condition, as in I took the car in to be tuned up. [Early 1900s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.