cook up
phrasal 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
Needless to say, The Charlton Arms is best in the summer, but pay a visit on cozy winter afternoons, too; the award-winning kitchen cooks up a divine Sunday roast.
—
James March, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025
The extreme heat of the explosions acted as a forge, cooking up the elements found in the asteroid, which then endured more heat from the impact that formed Bennu, as well as radiation from the sun, further altering the elements within.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
The first year Shirley Mease cooked up a free Thanksgiving feast in the Reeds Spring High School cafeteria, icy weather kept most people away.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
Wetmore himself went to Costco and loaded his truck with more than 100 turkeys and took them to the turkey fry, helping Lawrence and many others cook up the poultry.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 26 Nov. 2025
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.
James March, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025
The extreme heat of the explosions acted as a forge, cooking up the elements found in the asteroid, which then endured more heat from the impact that formed Bennu, as well as radiation from the sun, further altering the elements within.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
The first year Shirley Mease cooked up a free Thanksgiving feast in the Reeds Spring High School cafeteria, icy weather kept most people away.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
Wetmore himself went to Costco and loaded his truck with more than 100 turkeys and took them to the turkey fry, helping Lawrence and many others cook up the poultry.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 26 Nov. 2025
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 5 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share