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tune-up

[ toon-uhp, tyoon- ]
/ ˈtunˌʌp, ˈtyun- /
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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tune-up in a sentence

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

Other 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.
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