pack up

phrasal verb

packed up; packing up; packs up

1

: to gather one's belongings together and put them in a suitcase or other container for traveling

He packed up and left town.

2

British, informal : to stop or quit

She packs up when things become difficult.

3

British, informal : to stop working properly

The lift has packed up, so you'll have to take the stairs to her flat.

Examples of pack up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The families living there would have to simply pack up and find somewhere else to go. —Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026

Living in a grand house overlooking Hyde Park, Katherine packed up Scoresby’s belongings, sent them to a warehouse, changed the locks, and left for Syria and Palestine. —Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

If some companies, like BP and Total acquiesced, others like Exxon and Conoco packed up and left, writing off $billions and filing international arbitration claims that dissuaded many firms from seeking to establish operations in the country. —Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026

During former President Barack Obama’s visit to Kansas City in 2014, a takeout order for about $1,400 worth of ribs, pork, sausage, and side dishes was packed up and shipped out on Air Force One. —Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for pack up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup