1 B2 neutral
To cover a fire with a large amount of fuel so that it burns slowly and stays alight for a long time.
"She banked up the fire before going to bed so the house would stay warm."
separable
bank up
B2 neutral separable transitive
To heap up into a mound or ridge; to cover a fire with fuel to keep it burning slowly; to accumulate.
In plain English
To pile things up into a mound; to put lots of fuel on a fire so it burns slowly through the night.
What does "bank up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To pile or heap something up into a mound or ridge.
"The wind had banked the snow up against the garden wall overnight."
separable
3 B2 neutral
To accumulate or build up over time.
"Storm clouds had been banking up on the horizon all afternoon."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To raise something into a bank (an embankment or ridge) — relatively transparent.
Actually means
To pile things up into a mound; to put lots of fuel on a fire so it burns slowly through the night.
Usage tip
Common in British English for banking up a fire overnight. Also used for natural accumulation of snow, earth, or clouds. Less common in everyday speech than 'pile up'.
Words that pair with "bank up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
fire snow earth coal cloud soil
How to conjugate "bank up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bank up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
banks up
he/she/it
Past simple
banked up
yesterday
Past participle
banked up
have + pp
-ing form
banking up
continuous
Hear "bank up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "bank up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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