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wise up

mainly US informal phrasal verb with wise
 
/waɪz/
 
verb

Definition

to start to understand a situation or fact and believe what you hear about it, even if it is difficult or unpleasant: Those who think this is a harmless recreational drug should wise up. It's about time employers wised up to the fact that staff who are happy work more efficiently.Understanding and comprehending
(Definition of wise up from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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