1 B2 idiomatic informal
To ruin or spoil something through incompetence or carelessness.
"He really hashed up the presentation — the slides were in the wrong order and the data was incorrect."
separable
hash up
B2 informal separable transitive
To spoil, ruin, or do something badly; to make a mess of something.
In plain English
To make a mess of something; to do something very badly.
What does "hash up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
To prepare a quick, rough meal from leftover food, especially meat.
"She hashed up the leftover lamb and potatoes for a simple dinner."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To chop something up — as in making a hash (chopped dish) from leftovers.
Actually means
To make a mess of something; to do something very badly.
Usage tip
Chiefly British English. Somewhat old-fashioned compared to 'mess up' or 'botch'. Also used more literally to mean reheating or making a quick meal from leftover meat (a 'hash'). The negative sense of doing something badly is the more common modern usage.
Words that pair with "hash up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
job attempt plan performance report presentation
How to conjugate "hash up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hash up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hashes up
he/she/it
Past simple
hashed up
yesterday
Past participle
hashed up
have + pp
-ing form
hashing up
continuous
Hear "hash up" in the wild
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