sop up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal
Quick answer
What does “sop up” mean?
To absorb or take up a liquid, typically by using a piece of bread, a cloth, or a sponge.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To absorb or take up a liquid, typically by using a piece of bread, a cloth, or a sponge.
To absorb or take in something abstract, such as information, attention, or resources; to completely utilize or deplete something.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is very similar. British English may slightly favour 'mop up' for cleaning liquids, but 'sop up' is perfectly understood. The figurative use is equally common in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly negative when referring to waste (e.g., 'sop up gravy') or excessive consumption of resources.
Frequency
Moderate and roughly equal frequency in both dialects. More common in spoken and informal written English.
Grammar
How to Use “sop up” in a Sentence
[NP] sops up [NP][NP] is sopped up with [NP]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sop up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She tore a piece of crusty bread to sop up the rich gravy.
- The kitchen roll quickly sopped up the spilled tea.
American English
- He used a biscuit to sop up the last of the sausage gravy.
- We need more towels to sop up all this water from the leak.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Figurative: 'The new marketing campaign is designed to sop up the remaining market share.'
Academic
Rare in formal academic writing. May appear in literary analysis or social sciences in a figurative sense: 'The protagonist sopped up the local culture.'
Everyday
Common: 'Use this bread to sop up the soup.' 'The sponge sopped up all the coffee I spilled.'
Technical
Possible in descriptions of material science or chemistry regarding absorption, though more precise terms (absorb, adsorb) are preferred.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sop up”
- Using 'soup up' (to modify and enhance) incorrectly: *'He used a towel to soup up the water.'
- Using it without an object: *'The towel sopped up.' (Requires a liquid object).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is informal. In formal writing, prefer 'absorb', 'mop up', or 'take up'.
Yes, figuratively. You can sop up information, sunshine, or resources, meaning to absorb or consume them eagerly or completely.
They are very close synonyms. 'Soak up' can imply a slower, more thorough absorption and is more common for figurative uses (soak up the atmosphere). 'Sop up' often implies using an instrument (bread, cloth) and can connote cleaning a mess.
A 'sop' is literally a piece of bread dipped in liquid. Figuratively, it means a concession or bribe offered to placate someone. It is related to but distinct from the phrasal verb.
To absorb or take up a liquid, typically by using a piece of bread, a cloth, or a sponge.
Sop up: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɒp ˈʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɑːp ˈʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a piece of SOPpy bread SOPPING UP soup from a bowl. The word sounds like the action.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIQUID IS A RESOURCE / ABSORBING IS CONSUMING (e.g., 'sop up information', 'sop up funding').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a CORRECT figurative use of 'sop up'?