cut up

Meaning

To cut something into several smaller pieces using a knife or scissors. In cooking contexts, it is commonly used for preparing vegetables, meat, or fruit for a meal.

Examples

• Could you please cut up the carrots for the salad?

  Could you please cut up the carrots for the salad?

• She cut up the apple into small slices for the toddler.

  She cut up the apple into small slices for the toddler.

• He cut the chicken up before putting it into the frying pan.

  He cut the chicken up before putting it into the frying pan.

• I need to cut up these potatoes so they cook faster.

  I need to cut up these potatoes so they cook faster.

• It is much easier to eat steak if you cut it up first.

  It is much easier to eat steak if you cut it up first.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I cut up the onion in small pieces.

  ✓ I cut up the onion into small pieces.

  Use the preposition 'into' (not 'in') to describe the resulting state of the pieces.

• ✗ Please cut up it for me.

  ✓ Please cut it up for me.

  If the object of 'cut up' is a pronoun (like 'it' or 'them'), it must go between 'cut' and 'up'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Can you help me ___ these vegetables for the soup?

  💡 Chop into smaller pieces.

  Show answer

  cut up

• The meat is too big; you should ___ before serving it.

  💡 Divide it into smaller pieces using a pronoun.

  Show answer

  cut it up