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

---

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]

---

Example Sentences

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

Perhaps this is because religion doesn’t seem to be among the ingredients that contemporary Victor Frankensteins are using to cook up and refine their creations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

Madhusudhan says that does nothing to disprove his hypothesis; comets are known to be little laboratories that can cook up all sorts of unlikely things.

From Salon • May 31, 2025

The only food and water Naveed will see for the next week is provided by local volunteers who cook up and dole out rice, beans and soup every day.

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2023

Right here and now I am going to cook up a feast and eat until I drop and then I’ll be careful.

From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen