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
Everything cooks up in one pot, all together, so there are fewer dishes to deal with.
—
Josh Miller, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Now, however, both Breakker and Rollins are healthy, and WWE has all the necessary ingredients to cook up something great.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Around every fourth Monday of the month, Hao cooks up a family-style table meal.
—Ella Gonzales
may 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
However, one fan thought that this slogan was nothing more than something the team's front office cooked up.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cook up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Josh Miller, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Now, however, both Breakker and Rollins are healthy, and WWE has all the necessary ingredients to cook up something great.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Around every fourth Monday of the month, Hao cooks up a family-style table meal.
—Ella Gonzales
may 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
However, one fan thought that this slogan was nothing more than something the team's front office cooked up.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 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 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
