1 A2 neutral
To clean by removing dirt, dust, or debris with a vacuum cleaner.
"She vacuumed up the biscuit crumbs from the carpet before the guests arrived."
separable
vacuum up
B1 neutral separable transitive
To remove something by vacuuming, or metaphorically to absorb or collect something eagerly and completely.
In plain English
Pick up dirt with a vacuum cleaner, or take in a lot of something quickly.
What does "vacuum up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To absorb or consume large amounts of something, such as money, resources, or talent, in a rapid and complete way.
"Big technology companies are vacuuming up engineering graduates from top universities."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To collect and remove particles using a vacuum cleaner's suction.
Actually means
Pick up dirt with a vacuum cleaner, or take in a lot of something quickly.
Usage tip
Literal use is very common in household contexts. Metaphorical use is increasingly common in business and economics to describe companies or entities rapidly absorbing resources, talent, or market share.
Words that pair with "vacuum up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
dust crumbs talent profit market share funds
How to conjugate "vacuum up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
vacuum up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
vacuums up
he/she/it
Past simple
vacuumed up
yesterday
Past participle
vacuumed up
have + pp
-ing form
vacuuming up
continuous
Hear "vacuum up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "vacuum up"
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