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to tie up
[phrase form: tie]
01
to fasten an object securely with ropes
Transitive: to tie up sth
Ditransitive: to tie up sth to sth
Examples
Before sailing, sailors tie the boat up to the dock.
He tied up the horse to the hitching post.
02
(in crocheting) to complete the final row of stitches before finishing the project
Transitive: to tie up sth
Examples
After hours of knitting, she tied up the scarf with a flourish.
She tied the crocheted blanket up with a delicate edging.
03
to prevent something from normal movement or operation
Transitive: to tie up sb/sth
Examples
The traffic accident tied up the entire highway for hours.
A fallen tree branch tied up the power lines, causing a temporary outage in the neighborhood.
04
to safely attach a boat in its dock
Transitive: to tie up sth
Examples
They decided to tie up the kayaks along the riverbank.
The fisherman needed to tie up his dinghy before heading home.
05
to invest money or resources in a way that restricts their availability for other uses
Ditransitive: to tie up sth in sth
Examples
She decided to tie her savings up in a long-term investment.
The company tied the budget up in ambitious research projects.
06
to connect or link something to another thing, often making them depend on or relate to each other in some way
Examples
Much of his money is tied up in property.
The issue was tied up with past decisions.
