cook up

British  

verb

1. informal to concoct or invent (a story, alibi, etc)

2. to prepare (a meal), esp quickly

3. slang to prepare (a drug) for use by heating, as by dissolving heroin in a spoon

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noun

1. (in the Caribbean) a dish consisting of mixed meats, rice, shrimps, and sometimes vegetables

cook up Idioms  

1. Fabricate, concoct, as in She's always cooking up some excuse. [Colloquial; mid-1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cook up

It takes Gillaspia, who is known for his videos on running and baking sourdough bread, about 30-45 minutes to cook up a batch of the ground beef and white rice mixture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

To do so, I stay away from bistros in fancy neighborhoods, which charge too much and often cook up mediocre food.

From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026

Throughout the weekend, participants watched live demos from speakers and they were given time to cook up beats of their own.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2025

The four-week partnership, which was announced alongside the book’s release, allows fans to cook up several recipes, including Fried Chicken & Gravy, Sirloin Steak with Blue Cheese Butter, Country Fried Trout and more.

From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2024

And then I thought about what kind of ridiculous plan Carlos might cook up.

From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds