cobble up
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb: - To assemble, construct, or produce something in a hurried, careless, or makeshift manner, often using whatever materials or ideas are readily available.
Usage
The verb "cobble up" describes the act of creating or putting something together quickly and without great care or planning. It implies a temporary or rough solution. It is often used in informal contexts.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- "to cobble up a solution/plan": To hastily devise a way to address a problem.
- With the deadline approaching, they had to cobble up a plan to finish the project.
- "to cobble up a story/excuse": To invent a narrative or reason quickly, often unconvincingly.
- When asked about the missing files, he cobbled up a story about a computer virus.
Variants and Related Words
- Cobble together (phrasal verb): A more common variant with the same meaning as "cobble up."
- She cobbled together a costume from old clothes in her closet.
- Cobble (verb): Historically, to make or mend shoes. The modern figurative use in "cobble up" derives from this idea of rough, manual repair work.
Synonyms
- Improvised: Created spontaneously without preparation.
- Kludge together (informal, especially in computing): To assemble a clumsy but temporarily functional solution.
- Throw together: To make or assemble something quickly and without much thought.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Patch up: To repair something quickly or temporarily.
- They managed to patch up their disagreement before the trip. (Note: "Patch up" often refers to relationships or quick physical repairs, while "cobble up" is broader, applying to ideas or physical objects.)
- Whip up: To make something quickly, especially food.
- I can whip up some pasta for dinner. (Note: "Whip up" often has a more positive connotation of speed and skill, whereas "cobble up" suggests roughness.)
Related Idioms
- Make-do: A noun or adjective describing a temporary and less-than-ideal substitute.
- We'll have to use this make-do shelter until the real one is built. (The action of creating this is similar to "cobbling up.")
Verb
- put together hastily