whip up
/wɪp ʌp/
Meaning
This phrasal verb means to quickly and effortlessly prepare something to eat, often using whatever ingredients are readily available in the kitchen. It implies cooking without a complex recipe or heavy preparation.
Examples
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Give me ten minutes and I'll whip up some scrambled eggs.
Give me ten minutes and I'll whip up some scrambled eggs.
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She can whip up a delicious pasta dish with just a few basic ingredients.
She can whip up a delicious pasta dish with just a few basic ingredients.
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Let's see what's in the fridge; I'm sure I can whip something up.
Let's see what's in the fridge; I'm sure I can whip something up.
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He whipped up a quick salad for lunch before heading back to work.
He whipped up a quick salad for lunch before heading back to work.
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Don't worry about dinner; I'll whip up a quick stir-fry.
Don't worry about dinner; I'll whip up a quick stir-fry.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I whipped down a quick breakfast.
✓ I whipped up a quick breakfast.
The correct phrasal verb is 'whip up'. 'Whip down' is not a standard English expression for cooking.
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✗ She whipped up a complex wedding cake for three hours.
✓ She baked a complex wedding cake for three hours.
'Whip up' implies preparing something very quickly and easily. It is contradictory to use it for a long, complex cooking process that takes hours.
Related Expressions
Practice
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If you're hungry, I can ___ a quick sandwich.
💡 prepare something quickly
Show answer
whip up
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She managed to ___ a delicious meal from leftover ingredients.
💡 quickly cook
Show answer
whip up