Definition

Verb (informal, chiefly US): 1. To accumulate or gather something, especially money or profits, often implying a substantial or final amount. * This sense directly relates to the financial outcome of an endeavor. 2. To summon courage or nerve; to "man up" or prepare oneself mentally for a challenging task. * This is a figurative, idiomatic extension of the first meaning, suggesting gathering one's internal resources.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Financial Gain):
  • After years of hard work, they finally managed to sack up a significant profit from their investment.
  • The startup's goal is to sack up enough capital to expand into new markets.
• Verb (Summon Courage):
  • You need to sack up and tell her the truth.
  • He finally sacked up and asked his boss for the promotion.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is informal and can be considered slightly vulgar or blunt, especially in its second meaning. It is more common in spoken American English than in formal writing.
• It often carries a connotation of a final, tangible result (money) or a decisive mental state (courage).

Variants and Related Words

• Sack (verb): To dismiss someone from employment; to plunder or loot. (Note: This is a distinct meaning from the phrasal verb "sack up").
• Bag (verb, informal): To secure or obtain something desired. (e.g., ).
• Net (verb): To earn as a final profit after all deductions. (e.g., ).

Synonyms

• Accumulate: To gather or collect over time.
• Amass: To bring together a large quantity of something.
• Clear (financial): To earn as a net profit.
• Muster (courage): To gather or summon (a quality like courage).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Cash in: To convert something into money, or to profit from a situation.
  • It was time to cash in their chips and retire.
• Pocket: To take for oneself, especially dishonestly or as profit.
  • The corrupt official pocketed the bribe money.

Related Idioms

• Make a killing: To make a large amount of money very quickly.
  • They made a killing in the stock market.
• Man up / Woman up: To be strong and brave; to deal with something difficult. (Similar to the second meaning of "sack up").
  • Stop complaining and man up!

Verb

1. make as a net profit
   • The company cleared $1 million