Phrasal verb
clag up
Definition
phrasal verb. to become blocked or stuck with something thick and sticky so that a machine or system stops working well.
phrasal verb. to become obstructed or congested by a sticky or viscous substance; often used in mechanical or metaphorical contexts to describe a loss of efficiency.
Examples
“The printer keeps clagging up because of the cheap ink.”
“If you don't clean the filter regularly, it will clag up with dust and grease.”
“The gears began to clag up as the lubricant thickened in the freezing temperatures, eventually bringing the entire assembly to a halt.”
Examples
simple
“The printer keeps clagging up because of the cheap ink.”
contextual
“If you don't clean the filter regularly, it will clag up with dust and grease.”
complex
“The gears began to clag up as the lubricant thickened in the freezing temperatures, eventually bringing the entire assembly to a halt.”
Usage
often used with the preposition 'with' to name the substance causing the blockage.
Teaching tip
this is a more informal and vivid alternative to 'clog up' or 'block'; it is particularly common in British English and technical hobbyist circles.
Pitfall
The pipe clagged.
The pipe clagged up.
the particle 'up' is necessary to complete the meaning of becoming fully blocked.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
clag + (object) + up
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/clag-up