divided up
39
2.9
- phrasal verb
- Shanghai was divided up into sectors.
Examples
-
Thanking the young man, Sam divided up the pictures, handing half to Erica.
Fiction book (2002) -
However, they divided up the fact-finding tasks and agreed to meet back the following week.
Academic text (1996) -
The rest was divided up between New York and the British Museum.
-
Thomas and I divided up the town according to hiding places and places to sit.
Fiction book (2002) -
When we got there, we were divided up and placed in groups according to the instrument we played.
Fiction book (1993) -
Using the labels already on the books, we divided up the fiction by genre.
Academic text (2013) -
Egypt was divided up into areas called nomes, kind of like districts, all over the country.
-
Moreover, when demands for housing increased, communal spaces were divided up among competing households.
Academic text (1998) -
In the meantime, Marie's in-laws and Armand had divided up her property and distributed it among themselves.
Academic text (2010) -
The land was divided up into plots for each family to build their homes.
Synonyms
494
1.1
To split something into parts or groups
140
2.0
Give things to several people or places
98
4.2
Divided into opposing parts within a group
35
3.8
Spread out across an area or shared among many people
23
5.8
To divide something into parts to share between people
18
7.3
To share something among a group of people
16
4.2
Share things or money between several people
9
3.0
Split into parts and given out, often equally
8
7.0
To divide something and give parts to different people or groups
7
5.3
To divide something into parts to give out
6
4.8
To divide something into parts and give each part to different people
4
3.0
To give parts of something to different people
2
3.0
Divided into parts and given to people, usually equally
2
3.4
To divide something into parts and give each part to different people
1
5.3
To divide something into parts according to a set share
1
6.5
Divided and given out to people or groups according to a plan
1
9.5
To divide something into separate parts
Antonyms
How Shared
Surface Forms
Morphology
divided + up
The meaning 'distributed in portions' is directly derivable from 'divided' (apportioned into parts) combined with the particle 'up', which here signals separation/completion or distribution; a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer this sense. This verb/particle pattern is common and compositional in English (and has parallels in other languages), so the expression is transparent.
Etymology
Divided up comes from the simple picture of cutting a cake or pile into pieces and giving the pieces to people. The verb divided shows the cutting and up adds the sense of handing the pieces out, so the phrase means 'shared out' or 'given in parts'.