Definition:
"Scrape up" is a verb phrase that means to gather or collect something, usually money or resources, over a period of time. It often implies that the amount collected is small or hard to obtain.
Basic Example:
"I need to scrape up some money to buy a new bike."
Advanced Example:
"After weeks of saving and doing odd jobs, she managed to scrape up enough funds to start her own business."
While "scrape up" primarily refers to gathering resources, it can also imply a sense of struggle or difficulty in obtaining these resources.
Scrape together: This is similar to "scrape up" and means to gather enough of something, often money.
Example: "We need to scrape together enough money for the trip."
Scrape by: This means to manage to live or survive with very little money.
Example: "After losing his job, he had to scrape by on savings."
"Scrape up" is a useful phrase when discussing the effort involved in collecting money or resources.