Definition

Verb: - To become friends with someone; to develop a friendly relationship. - To act in a friendly or sociable manner towards someone, often with the intention of forming a friendship.

Usage

This phrasal verb describes the process of initiating or developing a friendship. It often implies a deliberate, active effort to be friendly and sociable. It is commonly used in informal contexts.

Examples

• Verb:
  • He quickly chummed up with the other new students at the university.
  • Don't try to chum up to the boss just to get a promotion.
  • It's nice to see the two neighbors finally chumming up after years of just saying hello.

Advanced Usage

• "chum up with [someone]": To become friends with a specific person or group.
  • She chummed up with the local artists during her stay in Paris.
• "chum up to [someone]": Often implies an attempt to gain favor or be ingratiating, sometimes with a selfish motive.
  • He's always chumming up to the project manager, hoping for the best assignments.

Variants and Related Words

• Chum (n., informal): A close friend.
  • He's an old chum of mine from school.
• Chummy (adj., informal): Friendly, on close terms.
  • They've become very chummy since working together.

Synonyms

• Befriend: To act as a friend to someone.
• Pal up (informal): To become friends (very similar in meaning and register).
• Buddy up (informal): To become friends or partners.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Hang out with: To spend time with someone socially.
  • She likes to hang out with her chums on the weekend.
• Team up with: To join someone to form a team or partnership.
  • They teamed up to work on the project.

Verb

1. become friends; act friendly towards