# hack up

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hack-up
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to cut into pieces

phrasal verb · CEFR B2

to cut something into many small pieces in a rough or violent way.

For teachers: to dismember or slice something into smaller parts using rough, forceful strokes.

- The gardener had to hack up the fallen tree branches to fit them in the bin.
- The chef had to hack up the frozen carcass before it could be processed into smaller, manageable portions for the stew.

### 2. to cough something out

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to cough very hard to get something out of your throat or lungs.

For teachers: to eject phlegm or a foreign object from the respiratory tract through violent coughing.

- He spent the whole morning hacking up phlegm because of his heavy cold.
- The patient was hacking up thick mucus, which suggested a significant respiratory infection that required immediate clinical attention.

### 3. to create quickly

phrasal verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Technical

to make something, like a computer program or a plan, very quickly and without much care.

For teachers: to produce a piece of software or a physical prototype rapidly and often crudely.

- I managed to hack up a simple script to automate my emails over the weekend.
- The developers had to hack up a temporary fix for the server crash while they worked on a more robust long-term solution.

Usage: Often used with 'together' as in 'hack together', but 'hack up' is common in programming contexts.

## Examples

- He had to hack up the fallen tree branch to move it.
- The chef had to hack up the frozen meat because the kitchen saw was broken.
- The patient continued to hack up thick phlegm throughout the night, suggesting a severe respiratory infection that required immediate intervention.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: distinguish between the physical act of chopping and the medical context of coughing; the latter is often used with 'phlegm' or 'mucus' as an object.

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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.