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
What Goldie was cooking up, however, was far from what anyone expected.
—
Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 2 May 2026
This is a weeknight winner all cooked up on a single sheet pan.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Enthusiastic hosts might even cook up chicken curry and luchi.
—Madhushree Basu Roy, Saveur, 30 Apr. 2026
The cosmos are cooking up a whirlwind of passion for you!
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 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.
Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 2 May 2026
This is a weeknight winner all cooked up on a single sheet pan.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Enthusiastic hosts might even cook up chicken curry and luchi.
—Madhushree Basu Roy, Saveur, 30 Apr. 2026
The cosmos are cooking up a whirlwind of passion for you!
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 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 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
