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to crap up

to crap up

9.9
To become blocked or cause a block by dirt and grease
  • phrasal verb
  • /kræp ʌp/
  • Offensive
translation icon : atascarse
  • The heavy rain caused the drainage system to crap up with debris, leading to flooding on the roads.

Examples

  • The old pipes began to crap up over time, making it difficult for water to flow through.

  • If you don't clean the filter regularly, it will eventually crap up and reduce the machine's efficiency.

  • Because I took myself in that chair, crapping up my back, peeing blood in my leg, shin splint, stretch fractures.

Synonyms

to choke
vsto crap up
  • NSFW
264 3.7

To be unable to breathe because something blocks the throat or neck

covers similar stoppage but highlights material causing the block
to get in the way
vsto crap up
206 3.3

To stop or slow something from happening

is more specific, meaning blockage due to unwanted material
to back up
vsto crap up
27 4.0

Become blocked so things cannot move

is the same obstruction but stresses blockage by dirty buildup
to clog
vsto crap up
21 3.2

To block a pipe or passage so flow stops

is focused on blockage specifically from unwanted material
to foul
vsto crap up
18 4.5

To make something dirty or blocked so it does not work properly

focuses on blocking through general accumulation not only pollution
to clog up
vsto crap up
9 3.7

To block a drain or road so things cannot move through it

is the general act of causing a blockage by material
to jam up
vsto crap up
  • Informal
8 4.7

Become blocked so things cannot move or work

focuses on blockage caused by solid unwanted material rather than crowding
to gum up
vsto crap up
  • Informal
6 7.2

To make moving parts stuck with dirt or glue so they stop working

is about clogging by messy material rather than mechanical sticking
to choke off
vsto crap up
6 6.4

To stop a supply by blocking its source or flow

describes blockage inside the passage caused by messy material
to block up
vsto crap up
4 3.8

To stop movement through a road, pipe, or path

is narrower, stressing blockage caused by waste or dirt
to stop up
vsto crap up
1 4.6

Block a hole, pipe, or crack so nothing can pass through

describes the same stoppage but stresses dirty material causing it
to choke up
vsto crap up
1 5.8

To block a pipe or drain so water cannot pass through

is more about blocking by unwanted material inside the passage
to congest
vsto crap up
1 5.3

To block or fill a place so things cannot move through it

emphasizes filling by accumulated material rather than sudden obstruction
to snarl up
vsto crap up
  • UK
1 7.8

Make things tangled or blocked so progress slows

is about physical blockage by unwanted material rather than entangling

Antonyms

1.5

To remove people or things from a place

3 3.1

Remove something that stops a pipe, machine, or blood vessel from working

How Blocked

to crap up
  • Offensive
9.9
to jam
13 4.4
to block
3.0
to flow
259 1.6

Surface Forms

crap up infinitive
crapped up past
crapped up past participle
crapping up present participle
craps up third person singular

Morphology

crap + up

The negative sense of 'crap' (worthless, to do something poorly) combined with the particle 'up' (indicating completion or a change of state) gives a plausible compositional reading 'make something crap / spoil something,' so a learner could partially infer the meaning. However, this usage is informal/slang and the specific sense 'ruin or spoil' is not a fully regular, cross-linguistic particle construction, so it is not reliably predictable for an average B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

Crap up comes from the image of pipes or machines filling with crap and getting stuck up. So it means 'become blocked' or 'cause something to become blocked'.