1 B1 neutral
To cut food, especially meat, into very small fine pieces using a knife or mincing machine.
"Mince up the garlic cloves before adding them to the pan."
separable
mince up
B1 neutral separable transitive
To cut or chop food, especially meat, into very small fine pieces.
In plain English
To cut something like meat or onion into tiny little pieces.
What does "mince up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To mince something and reduce it up to smaller form — the 'up' reinforces thorough reduction.
Actually means
To cut something like meat or onion into tiny little pieces.
Usage tip
Used in cooking contexts, particularly for preparing meat (minced beef, minced lamb) or vegetables. 'Mince up' is slightly more emphatic than 'mince' alone — the 'up' suggests thorough completion. British English commonly uses 'mince' where American English may say 'grind'.
Words that pair with "mince up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
meat beef garlic onion lamb chicken
How to conjugate "mince up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
mince up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
minces up
he/she/it
Past simple
minced up
yesterday
Past participle
minced up
have + pp
-ing form
mincing up
continuous
Hear "mince up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "mince up"
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