# mush up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

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

## Definition

to crush something until it becomes soft and thick, like a paste. You might do this to food for a baby or when mixing ingredients.

For teachers: to reduce a solid substance to a soft, pulpy mass through crushing or mashing. Transitive; often used in culinary or domestic contexts.

## Examples

- Mush up the bananas before you add them to the cake mix.
- The toddler spent more time mushing up his peas than actually eating them.
- The artist decided to mush up the wet clay and start the sculpture from scratch after the first attempt failed.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He mushed up of the potatoes." but "He mushed up the potatoes." — no 'of' is needed between the particle 'up' and the object.

## Usage notes

- This is a casual way to describe mashing or crushing something soft.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'mash' (more standard) and 'crush' (implies harder pressure); 'mush up' often implies a messy or informal result.

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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.