brush up to

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To flatter or suck up to someone

Register: archaic, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “brush up to” mean?

To flatter or suck up to someone

Is “brush up to” formal or informal?

brush up to is generally archaic, slang.