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hoard up

B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To collect a lot of something and hide it away, usually more than you need.

Literal meaning: To pile up a hoard — fully transparent.

Meanings

1 B2 neutral

To accumulate and keep large quantities of something, often secretly and beyond normal need, especially in anticipation of scarcity.

"Some people hoarded up toilet paper and hand sanitiser at the start of the pandemic."

"People have been hoarding up food and supplies, fearing a long lockdown."

— The Guardian, news report (March 2020, widely attested in COVID-19 coverage)
Grammar: separable
2 C1 idiomatic neutral

To keep feelings, resentments, or thoughts bottled up rather than sharing or expressing them.

"She had hoarded up years of resentment before finally confronting her sister."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Carries a negative connotation; implies selfishness, greed, or anxiety-driven accumulation. Often used in criticism of panic-buying or miserly behavior. The object is typically a resource others might need (food, medicine, money, information).

Commonly used with

food money supplies weapons medicine cash information

Forms

Base
hoard up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hoards up
he/she/it
Past simple
hoarded up
yesterday
Past participle
hoarded up
have + pp
-ing form
hoarding up
continuous

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