Phrasal verb
gum up
Definition
phrasal verb. to stop something from working smoothly or correctly. You use this when something gets stuck or blocked, like a machine or a process.
phrasal verb. to cause a mechanism or process to malfunction or cease operating efficiently by clogging or obstructing it. Transitive; often used figuratively in the fixed expression 'gum up the works'.
Examples
“Don't put sticky tape there; it will gum up the printer.”
“The heavy snow began to gum up the city's transport system, causing massive delays for commuters.”
“The bureaucratic inertia within the department threatened to gum up the entire legislative agenda before the summer recess.”
Examples
simple
“Don't put sticky tape there; it will gum up the printer.”
contextual
“The heavy snow began to gum up the city's transport system, causing massive delays for commuters.”
complex
“The bureaucratic inertia within the department threatened to gum up the entire legislative agenda before the summer recess.”
Usage
This is a transitive phrasal verb that usually takes a physical object or an abstract system as its object.
Teaching tip
Introduce this alongside the idiom 'gum up the works' to show how a physical metaphor describes a failing system.
Pitfall
The dirt will gum the engine.
The dirt will gum up the engine.
The particle 'up' is necessary to convey the meaning of clogging or stopping the mechanism.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
gum + up + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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