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• tune-up
  tune-up

  noun

  an adjustment, as of a motor, to improve working order or condition.
• tune up
  tune up

  verb

  to adjust (a musical instrument) to a particular pitch, esp a standard one

tune-up

American  

[toon-uhp, tyoon-] / ˈtunˌʌp, ˈtjun- /

noun

1. an adjustment, as of a motor, to improve working order or condition.

   The car needs a tune-up badly.

2. 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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tune up British  

verb

1. to adjust (a musical instrument) to a particular pitch, esp a standard one

2. (esp of an orchestra or other instrumental ensemble) to tune (instruments) to a common pitch

3. (tr) to adjust (an engine) in (a car, etc) to improve performance

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noun

1. adjustments made to an engine to improve its performance

tune up Idioms  

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

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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

See Examples For:

tune-up tune up

But Ohtani’s return was still significant, and the success of his end-of-season tune-up will have playoff implications.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

For the record, Dorgu and Harry Maguire were United's men on the scoresheet in this latest tune-up.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 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

In a tune-up against Senegal, the Americans won 3-2 against a country seen as a World Cup dark horse as Pulisic snapped a five-month goalless drought.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 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

Alarms at the hospital are getting a tune up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Coach Jason Gilmore's post-match comments about using the remainder of the campaign to tune up ahead of 2026-27's pre-season, understandably drew ire.

From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026

Flutes and drums tune up as spectators begin to line the curbs and balconies along the street.

From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025

"We're nearing a point where we can use these maps to design therapies that can tune up the T cell function for cancer treatments or tune it down to treat autoimmune disease."

From Science Daily ● Dec. 13, 2023

Gracious God, say Squeak, how I’m gonna tune up my mouth to say all that?

From "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker