patch up

phrasal verb

patched up; patching up; patches up
1
: to deal with (a problem, disagreement, etc.) in order to improve or repair a relationship
They finally patched up their differences.
He is going to try to patch things up with his girlfriend.
2
: to give quick and usually temporary medical treatment to (someone or something)
The doctor patched him up, so he's going to be as good as new.
She patched up his wounded arm.

Examples of patch up in a Sentence

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The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the better teams in baseball, but there are still some massive holes on their roster to patch up. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025 When the first sinkhole opened in December, crews tried to patch up the single gap and reopen the highway, only to find more and larger holes opening two months later, forcing the larger operation. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 22 June 2025 As to whether or not the duo can patch up their relationship — which paired the world’s wealthiest man with the world’s most powerful man — Americans are not sure. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025 Nigeria’s foreign policy under President Bola Tinubu has focused on winning trade and investment deals into the country to revitalize a struggling economy, and patching up the walls of the West African political bloc Ecowas that has been shaken up by coups. Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for patch up

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Cite this Entry

“Patch up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patch%20up. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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