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sit-up

sit-up

6 2.3
An exercise where you lie on your back and lift your upper body to strengthen stomach muscles
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪtˌʌp/
translation icon : abdominal
  • When the partner catches the ball, they lie back and perform a sit-up, repeating the process.
  • perform a sit-up
  • one sit-up

I haven't done a sit up in a long time.

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Examples

  • Over the past several years, sit-ups have received a bad reputation.

    Blog text (9)
  • The student with the ball lies down and performs a sit-up.

    Academic text (2009)
  • --doing your sit ups before the big game.

  • As they reach the top of the sit-up, they throw the ball to their partner.

    Academic text (2009)
  • I'm doing push ups and sit ups on the regular just for myself.

  • So the first and foremost, before you even come off the mat for a sit up, what I want you to do is press your low back into the ground.

  • Many people think that sit-ups aren't a good exercise.

    Blog text (23)
  • If you're going to do a sit-up, you do that one sit-up the very best that you can.

  • Hi, Prior to CrossFit, I would do tons of sit ups and crunches and AB work.

  • To strengthen your core, try performing a few sit-ups every morning.

Synonyms

tummy crunch
vssit-up
  • Informal
3.7

An exercise that lifts the shoulders toward the hips to work the stomach muscles

involves rising fully from lying to sitting without arms rather than small shoulder lifts
stomach exercise
vssit-up
3.0

An exercise that makes the muscles around your belly stronger

is a specific exercise that rises fully from lying rather than any abdominal movement

Antonyms

221 1.0

To put your body flat on a bed to rest or sleep

How Intense

hang
  • Specialized
12 7.6
sit-up
6 2.3
leg exercise
1 2.0

Surface Forms

sit-up singular
sit-ups plural

Morphology

sit-up = sit (semi-transparent) = up + sit

While the components 'sit' and 'up' are clear, the specific exercise meaning is specialized and not immediately obvious from the parts. [Postprocessing: moved 'up' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Sit-up is made from the simple words sit and up, which mean 'sit' and 'up'. It names the exercise where you lie down and move up into a sitting position, so the word literally describes the action you do, much like push-up does for pushing movements.