patch up

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patch up (third-person singular simple present patches up, present participle patching up, simple past and past participle patched up)

1. (idiomatic) To repair by adding a patch.

   I needed to patch up my trousers after ripping them on the brambles.

2. (idiomatic, transitive) To mend quickly.
3. (idiomatic, figuratively) To repair; to make better.

   You need to patch things up with your sister after that horrible argument.

   • 1983, James C. H. Shen, “Signs of Change”, in Robert Myers, editor, The U.S. & Free China: How the U.S. Sold Out Its Ally‎, Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books Ltd., →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 51:

     Nixon was very curious about developments on the Chinese mainland. He particularly wanted to know whether the Vice-Premier saw any possibility of Peking and Moscow patching up their feud in the foreseeable future. Chiang Ching-kuo answered in the negative.