send-up

/ˈsɛndˌʌp/

//ˈsɛndˌʌp// noun

"send-up" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“send-up” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A satirical imitation of a work of art or a genre.

Corpus desk

Index EN-send-up · send-up · English

send-up · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for send-up
PropertyValue
Headwordsend-up
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɛndˌʌp/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “send-up” in English

send-upranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

send-up is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsɛndˌʌp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A satirical imitation of a work of art or a genre.".

send-up doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Deverbal from send up. The correct English form is send-up, spelled S-E-N-D---U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A satirical imitation of a work of art or a genre.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how send-up appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The tired storyline, centered on a lesbian couple's search for a sperm donor, is irritatingly spoofish and lacks the subtlety that makes for great send-ups.
  2. Popstar doesn’t quite reach This Is Spinal Tap levels of satire (few things could), but as a send-up of the mores of today’s celebrity-obsessed culture, it largely succeeds.

Etymology

Deverbal from send up.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "send-up"?
"send-up" is spelled S-E-N-D---U-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛndˌʌp/.
What does "send-up" mean?
As a noun, "send-up" means: A satirical imitation of a work of art or a genre.
How do you pronounce "send-up"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "send-up" is /ˈsɛndˌʌp/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "send-up"?
Deverbal from send up. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list