tune (sth) up
— phrasal verb with tune uk/tʃuːn/us/tuːn/verb [ T ]
(INSTRUMENT)
If musicians who are preparing to play tune up their instruments, they make small changes to them so that they produce the correct notes:
After the orchestra had tuned up, the conductor walked on to the stage.
He began to tune up his violin.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Technical music terms
- accidental
- adagio
- allegro
- antiphonal
- arpeggio
- arr
- arrange
- cadence
- harmonic
- harmony
- key signature
- legato
- mike check
- motif
- timbre
- tremolo
- tuning
- twelve-tone
- twelve-tone scale
- unison
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(ENGINE)
to tune an engine
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Engineering - mechanical
- -engined
- artificer
- automate
- automatic
- automatically
- automative
- hydraulic
- mechanic
- mechanical
- mechanically
- octane
- octane number
- outboard motor
- pedal
- strip
- tick
- torque
- tune
- vane
- wheelbase
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Correcting and mending
(PREPARE)
to prepare for something, or to prepare something for something, especially by making small changes to improve it:
Microsoft is tuning up for the release of its latest operating system.
The group spent several weeks tuning up its act before the tour began.