work up a sweat

1. Literally, to perspire due to strenuous physical activity. Ping pong is actually great exercise. You really can work up a sweat after just a few games.

2. By extension, to put forth a large amount of energy or effort into or toward a task. Often used in the negative to indicate the opposite. That test was so easy, I aced it without even working up a sweat.

See also: sweat, up, work

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References in periodicals archive

These two brave would-be knights don 75lb of solid steel armour to work up a sweat in a Warwickshire sauna.

Knights of old work up a sweat in the sauna

But Courteney also revealed how she keeps her trim figure in shape as she broke off from sunbathing to work up a sweat doing press-ups before returning to topping up her tan.

Oh look, it's Courteney's coccyx

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