scare up
Also, scrape together or up. Assemble or produce with considerable effort, as in We managed to scare up extra chairs for the unexpectedly large audience, or He managed to scrape together enough cash to buy two more tickets. The first term alludes to scare in the sense of “flush game out of cover” and dates from the mid-1800s; the variant, alluding to scratching or clawing for something, was first recorded in 1549. Also see scrape up an acquaintance.
Words Nearby scare up
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
How to use scare up in a sentence
People would use the original social network—friends, family, neighbors—to find out about jobs or scare up business.
LinkedIn and the Internet’s New Organization Kids | Daniel Gross | August 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTSadly, the film got lost amid The Social Network hysteria, failing to scare up much of an audience.
"I guess he wants me to scare up a bird for him to chase," thought Ruddy, dog-fashion, of course.
Rick and Ruddy | Howard R. GarisYou'll never get any cigars in the guessing contest unless you can scare up better ones than that.
The Rules of the Game | Stewart Edward WhiteYou lured the poor lad here, and now he can see where to scare up a suitable engagement for his accomplishments.
Pandora's Box | Frank Wedekind
I'll put 'em under the elm you're so stuck on, and I guess we can scare up some books for you to read.
In Apple-Blossom Time | Clara Louise BurnhamNext, Jacob selected the best endowed college he could scare up and presented it with a $200,000 laboratory.
Strictly Business | O. Henry
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