shark up
C1 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To get or collect something by being clever or a little sneaky.
Literal meaning: To act like a shark — a predatory creature — in gathering something.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
informal
(Archaic/rare) To obtain or gather something, especially people or money, by cunning or sharp dealing.
"The old captain managed to shark up a crew from the dockside taverns."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Extremely rare and largely archaic. Derived from the noun/verb 'shark' meaning a swindler or someone who preys on others. Not in productive modern use; encountered mainly in historical texts.
Commonly used with
money crew recruits funds
Forms
Base
shark up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sharks up
he/she/it
Past simple
sharked up
yesterday
Past participle
sharked up
have + pp
-ing form
sharking up
continuous
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