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wash up

Meaning in simple English, pronunciation and examples

Pronunciation: US /ˌwɑʃ ˈʌp/ · UK /ˌwɒʃ ˈʌp/

wash up means: To clean the plates, cups, and other things used for cooking or eating.

verb

CLEAN DISHESA2

To clean the plates, cups, and other things used for cooking or eating.

  • I will wash up after dinner.
  • She washed up the cups while I dried them.
  • Who is going to wash up tonight?

How to use it: wash up something / wash something up (Could you wash these plates up?)

Similar words: do the dishes, wash the dishes

Common phrases: wash up dishes, wash up after dinner, wash something up

CLEAN YOURSELFA2

To wash your hands or face, often before eating.

  • Go and wash up before lunch.
  • He washed up after working in the garden.
  • Have you washed up for dinner yet?

Similar words: wash, clean up

Common phrases: wash up before dinner, wash up for lunch

REACH SHOREB2

To be carried by water onto a beach or other land.

  • Seaweed washes up here every day.
  • An empty boat washed up on the shore.
  • What else might wash up after the storm?

How to use it: wash up on something (Several bottles washed up on the beach.)

Similar words: be washed ashore

Common phrases: wash up ashore, wash up onshore

CARRY TO SHOREB2

If water does this, it carries something onto a beach or other land.

  • The tide washes up wood.
  • Yesterday, the waves washed up hundreds of plastic bottles.
  • A storm washed the boat up on the shore.

How to use it: wash something up on something (The waves washed a broken crate up on the beach.)

Similar words: carry ashore

Common phrases: wash up debris, wash something up, wash up driftwood

END UP SOMEWHEREC1

To arrive somewhere, often unexpectedly or after moving from place to place.

  • How did you wash up here?
  • She washed up in a small town in Spain.
  • After several failed jobs, he washed up at our office.

How to use it: wash up in/at somewhere (He washed up in Lisbon after years of travel.)

Similar words: end up, land

Common phrases: wash up somewhere, wash up here

BEAT SOMEONEC2

To hit someone hard several times and hurt them.

  • They threatened to wash him up.
  • Two men washed him up outside the club.
  • He said the gang would wash me up if I returned.

How to use it: wash someone up (The gang threatened to wash him up.)

Similar words: beat up, batter

Common phrases: wash someone up, wash him up

Questions about wash up

What does wash up mean?

To clean the plates, cups, and other things used for cooking or eating.

What is wash up in other languages?

Türkçe: bulaşık yıkamak · Español: lavar los platos · Français: faire la vaisselle · Deutsch: abwaschen · Italiano: lavare i piatti · 日本語: 皿を洗う

How do you pronounce wash up?

In American English /ˌwɑʃ ˈʌp/; in British English /ˌwɒʃ ˈʌp/.

How do you use wash up in a sentence?

I will wash up after dinner. She washed up the cups while I dried them.

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