1 B2 neutral
Of a liquid or substance, to produce a large amount of foam or bubbles.
"The drain cleaner foamed up violently when it came into contact with the blockage."
inseparable
foam up
B2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To produce or fill with foam, bubbles, or froth.
In plain English
Make a lot of bubbles or froth, or become full of foam.
What does "foam up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To cause a liquid to produce foam by agitating or heating it.
"He foamed up the milk with the steam wand before pouring it into the cappuccino."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To become covered in foam and rise upward — quite transparent.
Actually means
Make a lot of bubbles or froth, or become full of foam.
Usage tip
Used for liquids, cleaning products, beer, soap, or any substance that produces foam when agitated or mixed. Can be intransitive ('the water foamed up') or transitive ('the barista foamed up the milk'). Also used in informal speech to describe someone becoming very agitated or angry ('foamed up with rage'), though this is rare.
Words that pair with "foam up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
milk soap beer water cleanser mouth pipes
How to conjugate "foam up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
foam up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
foams up
he/she/it
Past simple
foamed up
yesterday
Past participle
foamed up
have + pp
-ing form
foaming up
continuous
Hear "foam up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "foam up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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