shack up

verb

shacked up; shacking up; shacks up

intransitive verb

: to sleep or live together as unmarried sexual partners

Examples of shack up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After 40 years beachside (and gaining a casual, semi-riotous rep for all the day-drinking amid the sand and surf), the Independent Spirit Awards has shacked up at the Hollywood Palladium. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026 These eight spots offer exemplary versions, found at seafood counters in the city, and on oyster farms and in fish shacks up and down the coast. Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 Max is back on her skateboard, Hop and Joyce have shacked up, and everyone seems really happy. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025 Avery’s best friend, Frances, has decamped to North Carolina to shack up with a plain, natural ram’s-horn sort of man. Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shack up

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shack up was in 1935

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shack up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shack%20up. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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