sober up
phrasal verb
sobered up; sobering up; sobers up
: to become sober or less drunk or to make (a drunk person) sober or less drunk
You need to sober up before you go.
I tried to sober her up.
I have to sober myself up.
Examples of sober up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the story, the father of Biel’s Chloe and Banks’ Nikki was a drunk who sobered up before his younger daughter Chloe was old enough to be aware of the worst of his behavior.
—
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2025
That honor goes to the Hot Brown, a sandwich allegedly created to sustain and sober up boisterous, late-night dancing guests at Louisville’s Brown Hotel in 1926.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2025
Moore was found drinking in a Toronto pub then helped to sober up before the game.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
Which brings us to the album’s less enamored songs, the ones that go into what went wrong in a relationship that was so celebrated in the public eye, not least of all for how his spouse put up an ultimatum to sober up.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
Though drinking spikes during the holidays − 47% of men and 40% of women admitted to binge drinking during the merry season, according to American Addiction Centers − more adults are actually interested in sobering up.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025
The only way to sober up is to allow your body time to break down and get rid of the alcohol in your system.
—Rosanna Sutherby, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 3 Jan. 2025
Though drinking spikes during the holidays, January finds many revelers interested in sobering up.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
At dawn, people sober up to the sound of cathedral bells and redemption
at the door.
—Jennifer Harlan, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024
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Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2025
That honor goes to the Hot Brown, a sandwich allegedly created to sustain and sober up boisterous, late-night dancing guests at Louisville’s Brown Hotel in 1926.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2025
Moore was found drinking in a Toronto pub then helped to sober up before the game.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
Which brings us to the album’s less enamored songs, the ones that go into what went wrong in a relationship that was so celebrated in the public eye, not least of all for how his spouse put up an ultimatum to sober up.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
Though drinking spikes during the holidays − 47% of men and 40% of women admitted to binge drinking during the merry season, according to American Addiction Centers − more adults are actually interested in sobering up.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025
The only way to sober up is to allow your body time to break down and get rid of the alcohol in your system.
—Rosanna Sutherby, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 3 Jan. 2025
Though drinking spikes during the holidays, January finds many revelers interested in sobering up.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
At dawn, people sober up to the sound of cathedral bells and redemption
at the door.
—Jennifer Harlan, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Sober up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sober%20up. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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