cut up
phrasal verb·4 senses·particle up
Meanings
Cut something into smaller pieces
Why “up”? Filling to the top. Reaching the upper limit means finishing.
“Cut the vegetables up into chunks.”
“He cut up the apple for the child.”
Make someone deeply upset or distressed
Why “up”? Something normal is disturbed. Feelings, systems, machines, or behavior become noisy, troubled, or out of control.
“She was really cut up about the news.”
“He was cut up after the argument.”
Behave in a wild or noisy way to attract attention
“The kids were cutting up in the back of the car.”
“The boys cut up during the school photo.”
Overtake another driver suddenly and dangerously
“A van cut me up on the motorway.”
“A taxi cut us up at the roundabout.”
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“Cut the vegetables up into chunks.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
cut down
A contrast learners often mix up
Reduce the amount of something; Fell a tree by cutting at its base; Kill or seriously injure many people quickly
cut out
A contrast learners often mix up
Remove by cutting; Stop eating, using, or doing something completely
act up
Same up pattern: trouble
Behave badly or stop working properly
add up
Same up pattern: finishing
Combine into a larger total; Make sense or seem true
blow up
Same up pattern: trouble
Explode or be destroyed by an explosion; Inflate something by filling it with air; Suddenly become very angry; Enlarge a photograph or image; (of a storm or argument) develop quickly into something serious
break up
Same up pattern: finishing
Break into pieces; End a relationship or gathering
call up
Same up pattern: finishing
Telephone someone; Order someone to join military service; Display information on a screen or computer; Bring a memory or feeling vividly to mind; Select a player for a higher-level team
clean up
Same up pattern: finishing
Tidy thoroughly
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