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tune-up

/ˌtun ˈʌp/
IPA guide

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.

Definitions of tune-up
  1. noun
    adjustments made to an engine to improve its performance
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    type of:
    adjustment, readjustment, registration
    the act of adjusting something to match a standard
  2. noun
    exercising in preparation for strenuous activity
    synonyms: prolusion, warm-up
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    type of:
    preparation, readying
    the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘tune-up'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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