brush up on

Meaning

Brush up on means to quickly study or practice something you have learned in the past so that you can regain your skill or knowledge. It is a very common phrasal verb used casually in academic, professional, and everyday situations when preparing for an exam, trip, or project.

Examples

• I need to brush up on my Spanish before our trip to Madrid next month.

  I need to brush up on my Spanish before our trip to Madrid next month.

• She spent the weekend brushing up on her algebra before the big math exam.

  She spent the weekend brushing up on her algebra before the big math exam.

• You should brush up on your presentation skills before the client meeting.

  You should brush up on your presentation skills before the client meeting.

• He decided to brush up on his coding skills by taking a short online course.

  He decided to brush up on his coding skills by taking a short online course.

• I haven't played chess in years, so I need to brush up on the rules.

  I haven't played chess in years, so I need to brush up on the rules.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I must brush up my English grammar.

  ✓ I must brush up on my English grammar.

  While 'brush up' without 'on' is occasionally used, the full prepositional phrasal verb 'brush up on [something]' is the standard and most natural way to specify the subject.

• ✗ She is brushing up about her history facts.

  ✓ She is brushing up on her history facts.

  The correct preposition to pair with this phrasal verb is 'on', not 'about'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Before the job interview, I had to ___ my knowledge of the company.

  💡 quickly review or improve

  Show answer

  brush up on

• You might want to ___ your French if you are moving to Paris.

  💡 practice a skill you used to know

  Show answer

  brush up on