tie-up

[ tahy-uhp ]

/ ˈtaɪˌʌp /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR tie-up ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a temporary stoppage or slowing of business, traffic, telephone service, etc., as due to a strike, storm, or accident.

the act or state of tying up or the state of being tied up.

an involvement, connection, or entanglement: the tie-up between the two companies; his tie-up with the crime syndicate.

a mooring place; place where a boat may be tied up.

a cow barn with stalls.

a stall allotted to each cow in such a barn.

Origin of tie-up

First recorded in 1705–15; noun use of verb phrase tie up

Words nearby tie-up

tie-dye, tie-dyed, tie-dyeing, tie-in, tie-off rail, tie-up, tieback, tiebreaker, tieck, tied, tied house

Definition for tie up (2 of 2)

tie

[ tahy ]

/ taɪ /

verb (used with object), tied, ty·ing.

to bind, fasten, or attach with a cord, string, or the like, drawn together and knotted: to tie a tin can on a dog's tail.

to draw together the parts of with a knotted string or the like: to tie a bundle tight.

to fasten by tightening and knotting the string or strings of: to tie one's shoes.

to draw or fasten together into a knot, as a cord: to tie one's shoelace.

to form by looping and interlacing, as a knot or bow.

to fasten, join, or connect in any way.

Angling. to design and make (an artificial fly).

to bind or join closely or firmly: Great affection tied them.

Informal. to unite in marriage.

to confine, restrict, or limit: The weather tied him to the house.

to bind or oblige, as to do something.

to make the same score as; equal in a contest.

Music. to connect (notes) by a tie.

verb (used without object), tied, ty·ing.

to make a tie, bond, or connection.

to make or be the same score; be equal in a contest: The teams tied for first place in the league.

noun

that with which anything is tied.

a cord, string, or the like, used for tying, fastening, binding, or wrapping something.

a necktie.

a low shoe fastened with a lace.

a knot, especially an ornamental one; bow.

anything that fastens, secures, or unites.

a bond or connection, as of affection, kinship, mutual interest, or between two or more people, groups, nations, or the like: family ties; the ties between Britain and the U.S.

a state of equality in the result of a contest, as in points scored, votes obtained, etc., among competitors: The game ended in a tie.

a match or contest in which this occurs.

any of various structural members, as beams or rods, for keeping two objects, as rafters or the haunches of an arch, from spreading or separating.

Music. a curved line connecting two notes on the same line or space to indicate that the sound is to be sustained for their joint value, not repeated.

Also called, especially British, sleeper. Railroads. any of a number of closely spaced transverse beams, usually of wood, for holding the rails forming a track at the proper distance from each other and for transmitting train loads to the ballast and roadbed.

bride²(def 1).

Surveying. a measurement made to determine the position of a survey station with respect to a reference mark or other isolated point.

Verb Phrases

tie down, to limit one's activities; confine; curtail: He finds that a desk job ties him down.

tie in,

to connect or be connected; be consistent: His story ties in with the facts.
Surveying. to establish the position of (a point not part of a survey control).
to make a tie-in, especially in advertising or a sale: The paperback book is tied in with the movie of the same title.

tie off, to tie a cord or suture around (a vein, blood vessel, or the like) so as to stop the flow within.

tie up,

to fasten securely by tying.
to wrap; bind.
to hinder; impede.
to bring to a stop; make inactive.
to invest or place (money) in such a way as to render unavailable for other uses.
to place (property) under such conditions or restrictions as to prevent sale or alienation.
to moor a ship.
to engage or occupy completely: I can't see you now, I'm all tied up.

Origin of tie

before 900; (noun) Middle English te(i)gh cord, rope, Old English tēagh, tēgh, cognate with Old Norse taug rope; (v.) Middle English tien, Old English tīgan, derivative of the noun; compare Old Norse teygja to draw. See tug, tow¹

SYNONYMS FOR tie

6 unite, link, knit, yoke, lock.

11 obligate, constrain.

17 rope, band, ligature.

18 cravat.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR tie ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR tie

1 loose, loosen.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR tie ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for tie

22. See bond¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM tie

re·tie, verb (used with object), re·tied, re·ty·ing. un·der·tie, noun un·der·tie, verb (used with object), un·der·tied, un·der·ty·ing. well-tied, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for tie up (1 of 2)

tie up

verb (adverb)

(tr) to attach or bind securely with or as if with string, rope, etc

to moor (a vessel)

(tr; often passive) to engage the attentions of he's tied up at the moment and can't see you

(tr; often passive) to conclude (the organization of something) the plans for the trip were tied up well in advance

to come or bring to a complete standstill

(tr) to invest or commit (funds, etc) and so make unavailable for other uses

(tr) to subject (property) to conditions that prevent sale, alienation, or other action

noun tie-up

a link or connection

mainly US and Canadian a standstill

mainly US and Canadian an informal term for traffic jam

British Dictionary definitions for tie up (2 of 2)

tie

/ (taɪ) /

verb ties, tying or tied

(when tr, often foll by up) to fasten or be fastened with string, thread, etc

to make (a knot or bow) in (something) to tie a knot; tie a ribbon

(tr) to restrict or secure

to equal the score of a competitor or fellow candidate

(tr) informal to unite in marriage

music

to execute (two successive notes of the same pitch) as though they formed one note of composite time value
to connect (two printed notes) with a tie

fit to be tied slang very angry or upset

noun

a bond, link, or fastening

a restriction or restraint

a string, wire, ribbon, etc, with which something is tied

a long narrow piece of material worn, esp by men, under the collar of a shirt, tied in a knot close to the throat with the ends hanging down the front US name: necktie

an equality in score, attainment, etc, in a contest
the match or competition in which such a result is attained

a structural member carrying tension, such as a tie beam or tie rod

sport, British a match or game in an eliminating competition a cup tie

(usually plural) a shoe fastened by means of laces

the US and Canadian name for sleeper (def. 3)

music a slur connecting two notes of the same pitch indicating that the sound is to be prolonged for their joint time value

surveying one of two measurements running from two points on a survey line to a point of detail to fix its position

lacemaking another name for bride 2

Word Origin for tie

Old English tīgan to tie; related to Old Norse teygja to draw, stretch out, Old English tēon to pull; see tug, tow 1, tight

Idioms and Phrases with tie up

tie up

Fasten securely; also, moor a ship. For example, Can you help me tie up these bundles? or The forecast was terrible, so we decided to tie up at the dock and wait out the storm. The first usage dates from the early 1500s, the nautical usage from the mid-1800s.

Impede the progress of, block, as in The accident tied up traffic for hours. [Late 1500s]

Keep occupied, engage, as in She was tied up in a meeting all morning. [Late 1800s]

Make funds or property inaccessible for other uses, as in Her cash is tied up in government bonds. [Early 1800s]

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tie-up

noun

Origin of tie-up

Words nearby tie-up

Definition for tie up (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), tied, ty·ing.

verb (used without object), tied, ty·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of tie

SYNONYMS FOR tie

ANTONYMS FOR tie

synonym study for tie

OTHER WORDS FROM tie

British Dictionary definitions for tie up (1 of 2)

verb (adverb)

noun tie-up

British Dictionary definitions for tie up (2 of 2)

verb ties, tying or tied

noun

Word Origin for tie

Idioms and Phrases with tie up

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tie-up

noun

Origin of tie-up

Words nearby tie-up

Definition for tie up (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), tied, ty·ing.

verb (used without object), tied, ty·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of tie

SYNONYMS FOR tie

ANTONYMS FOR tie

synonym study for tie

OTHER WORDS FROM tie

Words related to tie up

British Dictionary definitions for tie up (1 of 2)

verb (adverb)

noun tie-up

British Dictionary definitions for tie up (2 of 2)

verb ties, tying or tied

noun

Word Origin for tie

Idioms and Phrases with tie up