crumb up
C1 informal separable both
In simple words
To cover food with breadcrumbs before cooking, or to make something messy with crumbs.
Literal meaning: To cover something upward with crumbs, or to fill something up with crumbs.
Meanings
1 C1 informal
To coat food with breadcrumbs before cooking.
"She crumbed up the chicken fillets before shallow-frying them."
Grammar: separable
2 C1 informal
To fill or cover a surface or area with crumbs, making it messy.
"The kids had completely crumbed up the sofa with their snacks."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
A rare, informal phrasal verb. The sense of coating food is less standard than simply 'bread' or 'coat with breadcrumbs'. Also used informally to mean making a place messy with crumbs.
Commonly used with
chicken fish cutlet seat sofa keyboard
Forms
Base
crumb up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
crumbs up
he/she/it
Past simple
crumbed up
yesterday
Past participle
crumbed up
have + pp
-ing form
crumbing up
continuous
Understand "crumb up" better
Try:
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Synonyms
bread coat crumble dust with breadcrumbs
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "crumb up" on Looplines