patch sth ↔ up phr v [T] 1 to end an argument and become friendly with someone again 〔争吵后〕与…和解［和好］: I've patched it up with my girlfriend. 我已经与女友和解了。 2 to repair something, often so it can be used for a short time and then repaired again properly at a later time 草草修一下: They patched the car up enough to drive home. 他们把车草草修了一下，使它能开回家。