# chum up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/chum-up
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to become friendly with someone and start spending time together.

For teachers: to form a friendship or close association with another person. This phrasal verb is often used intransitively or followed by the preposition 'with'.

## Examples

- They often chum up with new people at the club.
- After discovering a shared interest in vintage cars, the new neighbors quickly began to chum up with each other.
- While the political alliance was born of necessity, the two leaders appeared to chum up quite genuinely during the long weekend of negotiations.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He chummed up his boss." but "He chummed up with his boss." — The verb requires the preposition 'with' to connect to the person being befriended.

## Usage notes

- Commonly followed by 'with' to indicate the person one is befriending.
- Teaching tip: Explain that 'chum' is an old-fashioned word for 'friend', which helps students remember the meaning of the phrasal verb.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.