# smash up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/smash-up
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to break something into many pieces by hitting it hard or crashing it. You use this when someone destroys something violently, like a car or furniture.

For teachers: to cause severe damage to an object or property through violent impact or physical force. Transitive and often implies total destruction or a state of being beyond repair.

## Examples

- The vandals smashed up the bus stop.
- He lost control of the car on the icy road and smashed it up against a tree.
- The protesters began to smash up the storefronts along the main thoroughfare before the police could intervene.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He smashed up it." but "He smashed it up." — when the object is a pronoun, it must be placed between the verb and the particle.

## Usage notes

- often used in the passive voice to describe the state of a damaged vehicle or room.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'break' to show intensity; 'smash up' implies a more violent, messy, or complete destruction than simply breaking something.

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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.