cook up
verb
cooked up; cooking up; cooks up
1
: to prepare (food) for eating especially quickly
I can cook up some hamburgers.
He cooked this whole meal up in less than 30 minutes.
2
: to invent (something, such as an idea, excuse, etc.) to deal with a particular situation
They cooked up a scheme to fool their neighbor.
You'll have to cook an excuse up quickly.
Examples of cook up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wearing an apron and a hachimaki headband, he could be seen cooking up a storm and even showing off his skills igniting a volcano onion.
—
Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
The bad news is, there’s no way to get out of having to wait for the cast, crew, and creatives to cook up their magic.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
White wine, lemon, and basil make a refreshing sauce for the seafood while the pasta cooks up quickly.
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Yasmin Mohammad cooked up Lucky Loafs using her love of baking and some inspiration from her family.
—Kendrick Henderson, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cook up
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Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
The bad news is, there’s no way to get out of having to wait for the cast, crew, and creatives to cook up their magic.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
White wine, lemon, and basil make a refreshing sauce for the seafood while the pasta cooks up quickly.
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Yasmin Mohammad cooked up Lucky Loafs using her love of baking and some inspiration from her family.
—Kendrick Henderson, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cook up
Cite this Entry
“Cook up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cook%20up. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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