as in to devise
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
cooked up a scheme to get out of doing the dishes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cook (up)
Verb
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First canals and then locks were devised to guide boats around the falls.—
Adam Sachs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026 -
Board member David Young suggested the county could devise some kind of explanation or message on the county’s website explaining the reason for the changes, and Gumz asked Lasky to come up with language for a potential disclaimer for the website to be considered by the committee.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So officials moved forward with plans to construct a pedestrian walkover.—
Johane Saintil,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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Since the Suez is a manmade canal, Egypt collects the toll to pay for the costs of constructing and maintaining it.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, scientists identified the virus, deciphered its secrets, concocted a vaccine, put it into production, and rendered the disease manageable – all within a year.—
David Blumenthal,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
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The Constitution’s glitterati, present at the creation, were unanimous in fearing the executive branch would concoct excuses for pointless wars to aggrandize power and crush unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s when Jack discovers the tin full of custom drugs that were left in their room by the demented chemistry major who used to live there (the reliably hilarious Sarah Sherman, appearing in a step-by-step YouTube tutorial about surviving the pills her character invented).—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
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Hal Nelson, Corning executive vice president and chief operating officer, emphasized that Corning invented the first low-loss optical fiber more than 50 years ago, which revolutionized telecommunications.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cook (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cook%20%28up%29. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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