WordLens

tie up

1 of 1verb
/ˈtaɪ ʌp/
Forms:ties up,tying up,tied up,tied up
1

to fasten an object securely with ropes

transitive
  • Before sailing, sailors tie the boat up to the dock.
  • He tied up the horse to the hitching post.
  • Please tie up the curtain to let more light in.
  • He tied up the boat securely before leaving the harbor.
  • She tied the gift box up with a decorative bow.
Synonyms:
trusstie downbind
2

(in crocheting) to complete the final row of stitches before finishing the project

transitive
  • After hours of knitting, she tied up the scarf with a flourish.
  • She tied the crocheted blanket up with a delicate edging.
  • Tie up the DIY project with a creative flourish.
Synonyms:
bind off
3

to prevent something from normal movement or operation

transitive
  • 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.
  • The technical glitch tied up the computer system, preventing employees from accessing important files.
  • The construction project tied up the main entrance, forcing people to use an alternative route.
  • The detective decided to tie the suspect up until backup arrived.
4

to safely attach a boat in its dock

transitive
  • They decided to tie up the kayaks along the riverbank.
  • The fisherman needed to tie up his dinghy before heading home.
  • Could you please tie up the speedboat before we go ashore?
  • After a day of sailing, we always tie up the sailboat at the marina.
  • Before leaving, make sure to tie up the rowboat to the designated spot.
Synonyms:
berthmoor
5

to invest money or resources in a way that restricts their availability for other uses

  • She decided to tie her savings up in a long-term investment.
  • The company tied the budget up in ambitious research projects.
  • He prefers not to tie his assets up in risky ventures.
  • The government tied up significant funds in infrastructure development.
6

to connect or link something to another thing, often making them depend on or relate to each other in some way

  • Much of his money is tied up in property.
  • The issue was tied up with past decisions.
  • The manager tied the team's goals up with the company's mission.
  • Her emotions were tied up with memories from childhood.
  • The argument is tied up with a larger political debate.