Phrasal verb
cast up
Definition
phrasal verb. to bring something from the bottom of the sea or a river to the shore.
phrasal verb. to deposit something on the shore by the action of waves or currents; often used in the passive voice to describe debris or wreckage.
Examples
“The tide cast up a lot of seaweed on the beach.”
“After the heavy storm, several pieces of old wood were cast up onto the sand by the waves.”
“The turbulent Atlantic currents frequently cast up remnants of long-forgotten shipwrecks along this treacherous stretch of the coastline.”
Examples
simple
“The tide cast up a lot of seaweed on the beach.”
contextual
“After the heavy storm, several pieces of old wood were cast up onto the sand by the waves.”
complex
“The turbulent Atlantic currents frequently cast up remnants of long-forgotten shipwrecks along this treacherous stretch of the coastline.”
Usage
often used with natural forces like the sea, tide, or waves as the subject.
Teaching tip
this is a more literary or descriptive alternative to 'wash up'; note that 'cast' is an irregular verb (cast-cast-cast).
Pitfall
The waves casted up some shells.
The waves cast up some shells.
the past tense of 'cast' is 'cast', not 'casted'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
cast + up + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cast-up