cake up

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitiveinformal

   To become covered with a thick, dry layer of something, especially dirt or mud.

   Grammar: No object; often used with 'with': 'His boots caked up with mud.' The past tense is 'caked up'.

   Patterns

   • cake up with something
   • cake up

   After the hike, my boots caked up with mud.

   The wheels of the cart caked up with clay and stopped turning.

   If you don't clean the pan, grease will cake up on it.

2. 2verbintransitiveinformal

   To put on a lot of makeup, especially in a thick layer (informal).

   Grammar: No object; often used in the phrase 'cake up' or 'caked up' meaning covered in heavy makeup.

   Patterns

   • cake up
   • be caked up

   She caked up before the party, using layers of foundation.

   He doesn't like to cake up; he prefers a natural look.

Word forms

Common combinations

cake up with mud

His shoes caked up with mud after walking through the field.

cake up with dirt

The garden tools caked up with dirt and needed a good wash.

cake up on

Grease caked up on the stove after weeks of cooking.

caked up

The old paint was caked up and peeling.

Synonyms and how they differ

clog

'Clog' means to block or become blocked, often with a thick substance; 'cake up' emphasizes forming a hard, dry layer.

encrust

'Encrust' is more formal and means to cover with a hard outer layer; 'cake up' is informal and usually implies a messy or unwanted layer.

Word family

cake verb

To form a hard layer, as in 'the mud caked on his boots'.

Commonly confused: cake up or cake?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “cake up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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