sop up
B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To use bread or a cloth to soak up a liquid, like sauce or a spill.
Literal meaning: A 'sop' is a piece of bread used to absorb liquid — fully transparent in food contexts.
Meanings
1 B2 informal
To absorb a liquid, especially sauce or gravy, with bread or a similarly absorbent material.
"He tore off a chunk of bread and used it to sop up the rich tomato sauce."
Grammar: separable
2 B2 neutral
To absorb or clear up a liquid spillage using an absorbent cloth or material.
"She grabbed a tea towel to sop up the water that had spilled on the counter."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Most commonly used for soaking up sauces or gravy with bread. Less commonly used for spills. The word 'sop' comes from bread dipped in liquid. Common in food and cooking contexts.
Commonly used with
gravy sauce bread spill liquid juices
Forms
Base
sop up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sops up
he/she/it
Past simple
soped up
yesterday
Past participle
soped up
have + pp
-ing form
soping up
continuous
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Synonyms
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