to clap together
- phrasal verb
- /klæp təˈɡɛðər/
- UK
- He managed to clap together a rough shelter before the storm hit.
Examples
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The committee clapped together a report in just two days.
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She clapped together a meal from whatever was left in the fridge.
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Don't clap together something that won't hold up!
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They clapped together the makeshift shelter in no time.
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He managed to clap together a rough shelter before the storm hit.
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She clap together a quick presentation using the materials she had on hand.
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They clap together a makeshift stage for the concert with just a few pallets.
Synonyms
Make something quickly without much care or planning
To put things together quickly and roughly using what is available
Make something quickly and roughly from things you have
Make something quickly without caring about details
Make something quickly that will not last long
To gather small amounts of money, food, or a few people with difficulty to do something
To put something together quickly and without care
To make something quickly and roughly using what is available
Make something quickly and carelessly using what you have
To join parts quickly in a careless, temporary way
To get a small amount of something quickly with little money or time
Antonyms
How Carefully
Surface Forms
Morphology
The core idea of joining things quickly is fairly inferable from 'clap' (to bring or strike together quickly) + 'together', so a B1 learner who knows both words could guess it means to join or assemble rapidly. However, the additional nuance of doing so carelessly or makeshiftly and the idiomatic use (possible confusion with literally clapping hands) are not fully predictable from the parts, so full comprehension requires exposure.
Etymology
Clap together comes from the image of quickly hitting parts so they join, like using a quick clap to bring items together. So, it now means 'to make something quickly and without care'.