rub up

1. (transitive)To polish or scrub; to cover (something with a substance) by rubbing.

   I rubbed up the brass buttons on my jacket to make them shine.

   The pitcher rubs up the new baseball with dirt to get a better grip.

2. (transitive)To rub (a body part): to massage, give a massage to.

3. To rub (a body part): to massage, give a massage to.

   (intransitive, transitive, with on)To rub on someone or something.

   The cat rubbed up on my legs.

4. (transitive)To create (something) by rubbing.

   to rub up a lather

   The new shoe rubbed up a blister on the back of his foot.

5. (ambitransitive, dated, informal)To revive one's knowledge of (something); to renew (a skill).

6. (US, slang, transitive)To assault (someone).

7. (obsolete, transitive)To reduce (something) to a powder or paste using friction (with a mortar and pestle, for example); to mix (with something) using friction.

   to rub up pigments with water or oil

8. (obsolete, transitive)To excite or awaken (something); to revive or reawaken (something).

   to rub up the memory; to rub up old sores

1. I saw her rubbing up against you.

   CC BY · Tatoeba · felidad · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

2. Tom rubs me up the wrong way.

   deTom geht mir gegen den Strich.

   CC BY · Tatoeba · sundown · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

3. She rubs him up the wrong way.

   deSie geht ihm um den Bart.

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4. The bunion on my left foot is rubbing up against the inside of my shoe.

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5. The purring cat rubbed up against Tom's leg.

   ruМурлыкающая кошка потёрлась о ногу Тома.

   deDie schnurrende Katze rieb sich an Toms Bein.

   CC BY · Tatoeba · karloelkebekio · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

irregular

• rub upпереглянути, переглядатиTo polish or scrub; to cover (something with a substance) by rubbing.
• rub outзробити, робитиTo delete or erase or remove (something) by rubbing, especially with a rubber (eraser).
• rub downмасажувати, промасажуватиTo rub from top to bottom, e.g. for cleaning, stripping paint or massage.
• rub offUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rub, off.
• rub inTo apply by rubbing.
• rub awayTo rub in order to erase
• rub alongTo survive or get by with some difficulty.