Phrasal verb
divide up
Definition
phrasal verb. to separate something into smaller parts so you can share it with others or organize it better.
phrasal verb. to partition a whole into smaller segments or portions, often for the purpose of distribution or allocation among a group.
Examples
“We should divide up the pizza so everyone gets a slice.”
“The manager decided to divide up the work among the three team members to finish the project faster.”
“After the inheritance was settled, the siblings had to divide up the estate according to their father's final wishes.”
Examples
simple
“We should divide up the pizza so everyone gets a slice.”
contextual
“The manager decided to divide up the work among the three team members to finish the project faster.”
complex
“After the inheritance was settled, the siblings had to divide up the estate according to their father's final wishes.”
Usage
often used with objects like tasks, money, food, or land.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'divide' (the base verb); adding 'up' often emphasizes the completeness of the distribution or the act of sharing among people.
Pitfall
They divided up it between them.
They divided it up between them.
when using a pronoun like 'it', it must come between the verb and the particle 'up'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
divide (+ object) + up (+ object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/divide-up