tied-up 1 of 2

adjective

as in engaged
involved in often constant activity we'll be tied-up with work for the next several days

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tied up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tie up
as in hampered
to create difficulty for the work or activity of an accident is tying up traffic at 5th and Broadway

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tied-up
Verb
The regime claims that the four officers were tied up in the city’s central square, stoned, and then burned alive. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Is there even any real need, when FIFA is sitting on billions of reserves and has more billions tied up in bonds, investments and other deposits? — James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Maheu and Perreault-Magny tied up briefly in the middle of the placid river with officers from the Akwesasne nation, a Tim Hortons coffee cup riding shotgun on their console. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026 The animals were kept in cages or kennels filled with feces or were tied up, and all of them were covered in ticks and fleas, according to the outlet. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 Meanwhile, Western taxpayers continue to foot the bills for several of the remaining 15 yachts still tied up in ports across Europe. — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Knot theory is about all the different ways a piece of string can be tied up, with its two loose strands glued together after the tying. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 23 July 2026 The Phillies tied up the game in the bottom half of that fifth inning. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 Cities and towns across China in recent years have been pushing for more local events or niche industries to stimulate spending and draw tourists – an increasingly urgent effort as many local government budgets are tied up with debt repayment. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tied-up
  1. engaged
  2. hampered
  3. busy
  4. hindered
  5. diligent
  6. impeded
  7. occupied
  8. embarrassed
Adjective
  • Across the country, laws have changed, communities have taken a harder look at aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance, and homeowners have become more engaged in conversations about the financial sustainability and safety of their buildings.
    — Christyne D. Santisteban, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Stay engaged in the conversation instead of multitasking or checking your phone.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Definition of engaged
Verb
  • Delays in contact tracing, difficulties accessing affected areas, mistrust from communities, and violence by armed groups and some residents have hampered the response, the Africa CDC has said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But two separate hamstring injuries hampered any chance of a call-up for Ryan, who is also nearly two years past Tommy John surgery.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of hampered
Adjective
  • India’s busiest wedding and festive season typically runs from October to April, timed with auspicious dates and favorable weather.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • The model and entrepreneur has spent years of her extremely busy life rebranding flip-flops from beach-only footwear to a gleaming symbol of elevated personal style.
    — Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 30 July 2026
Definition of busy
Verb
  • Aid organizations have said that community mistrust, insecurity due to armed conflict, and gaps in healthcare have hindered response and containment efforts.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • The suspense grows more effective past the one-hour mark, once Dama takes control of the narrative, with Irina, Rosa and Giulia variably helped and hindered by her steely mechanizations.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of hindered
Adjective
  • The unknowable force that does not lend itself to hope, prayer, diligent actions, good intentions or rigorous effort.
    — Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • James also arrives at the arena atypically early, part of a diligent pregame routine.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of diligent
Verb
  • Folks who are hundreds of miles away from the forest are impeded by wildfire smoke.
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 29 July 2026
  • The report goes on to say that when the victim intervened and put the dog in its crate, Monasterio turned on her, repeatedly punching her and placing both hands around her neck, squeezing until her breathing was impeded.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Definition of impeded
Adjective
  • In China, cameras already cover just about every square inch of occupied space.
    — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Kyiv has also intensified efforts to isolate Crimea by targeting fuel supply routes and power generation facilities in the occupied peninsula.
    — Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2026
Definition of occupied
Verb
  • One month later, Europe embarrassed the United States on American soil at the Ryder Cup.
    — Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026
  • The suitors embarrassed themselves one by one, until Antinous demanded Penelope simply choose the best of them.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
Definition of embarrassed

Browse Nearby Words

tied (together)
tied-up
tied up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tied-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tied-up. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of colloquial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All