# bone up on

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bone-up-on
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to study a specific subject very hard for a short time, usually to prepare for a test or a meeting.

For teachers: to study or review information intensively in order to achieve proficiency or readiness for a specific upcoming event; informal register.

## Examples

- I need to bone up on my French before my trip to Paris.
- She spent the entire weekend boning up on the new tax laws before her meeting with the accountants.
- The legal team had only forty-eight hours to bone up on the technical specifications of the patent before the cross-examination began.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I need to bone up my history." but "I need to bone up on my history." — the preposition 'on' is required to connect the verb phrase to the subject being studied.

## Usage notes

- informal; almost always followed by the preposition 'on' and a specific topic of study.
- Teaching tip: the phrase likely comes from the 19th-century use of 'boney' (studious) or the use of bone-based tools to polish things; it is a more specific, informal version of 'review' or 'study'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.