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."
separable
microwave up
B2 informal separable transitive
To heat food or drink quickly using a microwave oven.
In plain English
To warm food up in the microwave.
What does "microwave up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To use a microwave to bring food up to temperature — the 'up' signals completion of the heating process.
Actually means
To warm food up in the microwave.
Usage tip
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.
Words that pair with "microwave up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
leftovers soup pasta coffee dinner lunch
How to conjugate "microwave up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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
Hear "microwave up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "microwave up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "microwave up"
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