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Glite Dictionary
to stock up on

to stock up on

27 2.5
Buy a large amount of something to use later
  • phrasal verb
  • /stɑk ʌp ɑn/
translation icon : abastecerse de
  • I wanted to stock up on some supplies.
  • stock up on food
  • stock up on supplies
  • stock up on groceries

So it's kind of funny and people seem a bit silly that they were stocking up on food like this.

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Examples

  • All over the country, people are buying out grocery stores, stocking up on supplies.

    Greenland (2020)

  • Store shelves are emptied as residents stock up on flashlights, water, food, and medicine.

    Academic text (2011)

  • So I almost feel like I need to stock up on a couple things.

  • We're gonna stock up on water and then we're off.

    The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)

  • Is there anything special you want, any particular kind of food we can stock up on?

    The Ice Storm (1997)

  • I do need to review what I have and stock up on some more things.

    Blog text (3)

  • I just need to stock up on some greens.

  • I can stock up on food and bait while you finish up in Rome.

    Champion (2017)

  • I was heading to the supermarket, where I intended to stock up on junk food for the days ahead.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I'm stocking up on frozen food for Thanksgiving.

Synonyms

to hoard
vsto stock up on
45 4.8

To collect and keep large amounts of food or other things for future use

involves normal buying for later use without secrecy or extreme excess
to stock up
vsto stock up on
39 2.9

Buy a large supply of something to use later

is the same meaning but written without the extra small word
to stockpile
vsto stock up on
26 4.6

To keep a large supply of goods for future use

is about buying or collecting for general future use
to restock
vsto stock up on
23 3.2

Put new goods on shelves after the old ones are used or sold

concerns buying before use to keep a supply for later
to load up on
vsto stock up on
  • Informal
10 4.5

Get a lot of something or use a lot of it

means buying for future use rather than immediate consumption
to prepurchase
vsto stock up on
1 4.8

To buy something before you need it or before the price rises

is broader and covers general buying for future use
to hive up
vsto stock up on
  • UK
7.9

To store things like food or money so you can use them later

focuses on buying for future use rather than specifically preparing for shortages

Antonyms

to run out of
646 1.9

Have no more of something because you used it all

to deplete
13 6.3

To use up almost all of something so little is left

How Much

to hoard
45 4.8
to stock up on
27 2.5
to replenish
43 4.3
to buy
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

stock up on infinitive
stocked up on past
stocked up on past participle
stocking up on present participle
stocks up on third person singular

Morphology

stock + up + on

The meaning 'to buy or collect a large quantity for future use' is directly derivable from the parts: 'stock' (supplies/reserve) + 'up' (increase) + 'on' (target/with respect to). This verb+particle+preposition pattern transparently signals increasing one's supply and is cross-linguistically common, so an average B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand it.

Etymology

Stock up on comes from the simple picture of filling a shop's stock and piling goods up on the shelves so there is more available. So, it means 'to buy or collect a large amount of something to save for later'.