brush up on
Meaning
To review and practice a skill or knowledge you learned before, to improve it and refresh your memory.
Origin
From the literal sense of brushing something to clean or improve its appearance; by the 1800s it was used figuratively for refreshing one’s knowledge or skills.
Notes
Neutral, practical tone: a refresher to regain competence, often before a task. Common in study/work. Implies you learned it before; not used for learning from scratch.
Examples
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I need to brush up on my Spanish before the trip to Mexico.
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She brushed up on Excel so she could apply for the new position.
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Let’s brush up on the safety procedures before we start the experiment.
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He spent the weekend brushing up on his calculus for the final exam.
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I’m brushing up on recent research so I can speak confidently at the conference.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually used as “brush up on + noun/gerund” (brush up on Spanish / on coding). Often with need/plan: “need to brush up on…”. Pronoun between verb and particle is rare; keep “on” after “up”.
Synonyms
- refresh
- review
- revise
- relearn
- polish
- sharpen
Antonyms
- neglect
- forget
- let (something) slip