use up

What it means

To consume or finish all of something so that none is left. It is separable, and is most often used with consumables like food, fuel, money, time, or energy.

Examples

• The kids have used up all the hot water again this morning.
• We need to use up these vegetables before they go bad.
• He used his savings up trying to keep the business running.
• Long meetings really use up my energy for the rest of the day.

Where it comes from

An old combination dating back centuries, where 'up' adds the sense of completeness or exhaustion (similar to 'eat up' or 'finish up'). It is neutral in register and works in both spoken and written English.

Related phrasal verbs