1 A2 neutral
To crush a soft food into a smooth or lumpy paste.
"He mashed up the avocados with a fork and added lime juice."
separable
mash up
B1 informal separable transitive
To crush something into a soft mass, or to combine two or more things — especially songs, styles, or ideas — into a creative new whole.
In plain English
Squash something soft into a paste, OR mix two different songs or things together to make something new.
What does "mash up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To combine elements of two or more songs, videos, or cultural products into a new creative work.
"The DJ mashed up a classic hip-hop beat with a current pop chorus and the crowd loved it."
“
Girl Talk has made a career out of mashing up dozens of songs into a single track.
— General music press reference to DJ Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis), widely reported in Rolling Stone and Wired
separable
3 C1 idiomatic slang
(Caribbean English) To ruin, damage, or destroy something completely.
"Those bad reviews really mashed up his reputation."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To press and crush something — 'mash' means to squash, and 'up' intensifies the action.
Actually means
Squash something soft into a paste, OR mix two different songs or things together to make something new.
Usage tip
In cooking, it is straightforwardly literal. In music and digital culture, a 'mashup' (noun) is a popular format blending two or more songs. In Jamaican English, it also means to destroy or ruin. The noun 'mashup' is spelled as one word.
Words that pair with "mash up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
potatoes music tracks songs ideas ingredients
How to conjugate "mash up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
mash up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
mashes up
he/she/it
Past simple
mashed up
yesterday
Past participle
mashed up
have + pp
-ing form
mashing up
continuous
Hear "mash up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "mash up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "mash up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
blend combine crush fuse mix puree
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.