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green up

B2 neutral separable both
In simple words

When something turns green, like plants growing in spring, or when a person or company starts being kinder to the environment.

Literal meaning: To turn or make something green in color.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

Of vegetation: to become visibly green as new growth appears, especially in spring.

"After two weeks of rain, the dry hillsides finally greened up beautifully."

2 B2 idiomatic neutral

To make a place, organization, or practice more environmentally sustainable.

"The city council announced plans to green up public transport by replacing diesel buses with electric ones."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

The literal sense (vegetation growing) is common in agriculture and nature writing. The figurative 'eco-friendly' sense is increasingly common in journalism and business contexts. Both transitive ('green up the office') and intransitive ('the fields greened up') uses exist.

Commonly used with

lawn fields city policy company spring

Forms

Base
green up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
greens up
he/she/it
Past simple
greened up
yesterday
Past participle
greened up
have + pp
-ing form
greening up
continuous

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Synonyms

become greener sprout turn eco-friendly go green liven up flourish

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