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microwave up

B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words

To warm food up in the microwave.

Literal meaning: To use a microwave to bring food up to temperature — the 'up' signals completion of the heating process.

Meanings

1 B2 informal

To heat food or drink in a microwave oven until it is hot.

"Just microwave up the leftover pasta — it'll only take two minutes."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Very informal, conversational usage. More commonly heard in speech than seen in writing. Many speakers simply say 'microwave it' rather than 'microwave it up', making 'microwave up' a more emphatic or completive variant.

Commonly used with

leftovers soup pasta coffee dinner lunch

Forms

Base
microwave up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
microwaves up
he/she/it
Past simple
microwaved up
yesterday
Past participle
microwaved up
have + pp
-ing form
microwaving up
continuous

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