wise up

verb

1. get wise to (Freq. 1)

-

They wised up to it

• Hypernyms:

↑learn, ↑hear, ↑get word, ↑get wind, ↑pick up, ↑find out, ↑get a line, ↑discover, ↑see

• Verb Frames:

-

Somebody ——s

-

Somebody ——s PP

2. cause someone to become aware of something

• Hypernyms: ↑inform

• Verb Frames:

-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

Somebody ——s somebody PP

* * *

wise up (slang)

To make or become aware, informed, etc

• • •

Main Entry: ↑wise

* * *

ˌwise ˈup [intransitive] [present tense I/you/we/they wise up he/she/it wises up present participle wising up past tense wised up past participle wised up] informal phrasal verb

to learn or understand the truth about something, or to tell someone the truth about something

When are they going to wise up to the fact that people aren’t interested?

Thesaurus: to understand something_synonym to learn new skills or information_synonym

Main entry: wise

* * *

[often in imperative] informal become alert to or aware of something

wise up and sort yourselves out before it's too late

* * *

wise up [phrasal verb]

informal

1 : to become aware of what is really happening

— often + to

They finally wised up to the fact that they were being cheated.

2 : to start to think and act in a more intelligent way

They could lose everything they have if they don't wise up. [=smarten up]

• • •

Main Entry: ↑wise