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
Don't let the name fool you, this is a deliciously savory meal that cooks up in just 35 minutes.
—
Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
With nowhere else to go, Daphne ends up moving in with Petra's ex, Miles, and the two cook up a fake romance to make their exes jealous.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
The 40-year-old cooks up ways to make quarterbacks miserable in his sleep, devising schemes that are meant to lure as much as they are intended to confuse.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The Country Strong actress then proceeded to cook up a storm.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cook up
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Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
With nowhere else to go, Daphne ends up moving in with Petra's ex, Miles, and the two cook up a fake romance to make their exes jealous.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
The 40-year-old cooks up ways to make quarterbacks miserable in his sleep, devising schemes that are meant to lure as much as they are intended to confuse.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The Country Strong actress then proceeded to cook up a storm.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 30 Dec. 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 17 Jan. 2026.
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