1
: a slowdown or stoppage of traffic, business, or operation (as by a mechanical breakdown)
2
: connection, association
helpful financial tie-ups
3
a
: a cow stable
also
: a space for a single cow in a stable
b
: a mooring place for a boat
tied up; tying up or tieing up; ties up
1
: to attach, fasten, or bind securely
also
: to wrap up and fasten
2
a
: to connect closely : join
tie up the loose ends
b
: to cause to be linked so as to depend on or relate to something
3
a
: to place or invest in such a manner as to make unavailable for other purposes
their money was tied up in stocks
b
: to restrain from normal movement, operation, or progress
traffic was tied up for miles
4
a
: to keep busy
was tied up in conference all day
b
: to preempt the use of
tied up the phone for an hour
1
: dock entry 2
the ferry ties up at the south slip
2
: to assume a definite relationship
this ties up with what I told you before
Examples of tie-up in a Sentence
Noun
a tie-up at the junction of Main and Central has slowed traffic to a crawl
in a tie-up with the film studio, the toy company is producing a whole line of figures featuring characters from the animated movie
Verb
an accident is tying up traffic at 5th and Broadway
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 16 May 2025
Such tie-ups are seen as increasingly important for automakers to counter the threat from fast-moving EV companies, particularly in China.
—Daniel Leussink, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 May 2025
Each campus’ 2024 A-F accountability score, as calculated by Fort Worth ISD, is also shown to give insight on its academic performance (The scores typically released by the Texas Education Agency are tied up in a pending lawsuit).
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tie-up
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Noun
And while Goldman didn't have a hand in the Charter-Cox tie-up, fellow portfolio name Wells Fargo was among the firms advising Cox.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 16 May 2025
Such tie-ups are seen as increasingly important for automakers to counter the threat from fast-moving EV companies, particularly in China.
—Daniel Leussink, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Verb
Too much can block water and tie up nitrogen, harming rose growth.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 May 2025
Each campus’ 2024 A-F accountability score, as calculated by Fort Worth ISD, is also shown to give insight on its academic performance (The scores typically released by the Texas Education Agency are tied up in a pending lawsuit).
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tie-up
Cite this Entry
“Tie-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tie-up. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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