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bang up

(transitive, informal) To damage.

ˈbæŋ ˈʌpCurrent256 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🗺️ Regional & Other
3 definitions
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Seen in the wild
5 citations · last seen May 2026

Seen in the wild

Definitions

#1·Apr 26, 2026

(transitive, informal) To damage.

He banged up his new car last night.
Heard in the wild
  • “And I dare say you've done a bang up job executing a narrative that is more interesting, interwoven with our various characters' interests, backstories, and play patterns.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Autocorrect doing a bang up job on that one.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Can't imagine why. He's doing such a bang up job making everyone's lives better.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Wow, incredible atmosphere tonight. Rice looks bang up for it.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 26, 2026

(idiomatic, often hyphenated) Good, superior, excellent.

He's doing a bang up job.
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#3·Apr 26, 2026

(transitive, informal) To put someone in prison, or into their individual cell.

He was so drunk that the police banged him up for the night.
For parents

"bang up" means: To put someone in prison, or into their individual cell.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"bang up" means: To put someone in prison, or into their individual cell.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

Heard in the wild
  • “The Biden-Harris admin did a bang up job!”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.

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