Synonyms of tied-up

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

• engaged
• busy
• diligent
• employed
• occupied
• working
• preoccupied
• active
• bustling
• industrious
• immersed
• assiduous
• laborious
• absorbed
• humming
• hopping
• operating
• concentrating
• sedulous
• functioning
• operational
• knee-deep
• running
• animated
• focused
• going
• flourishing
• lively
• buzzing
• vibrant
• engrossed
• swamped
• happening
• thriving
• operative
• functional
• alive
• energetic
• living
• hardworking
• intent
• vigorous
• astir
• tireless
• indefatigable
• untiring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unemployed
• free
• idle
• unoccupied
• inactive
• lifeless
• dormant
• latent
• sleepy
• dead
• inert
• passive
• asleep
• quiescent
• slow
• unbusy
• dull
• inoperative
• nonoperating

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

• hampered
• impeded
• hindered
• embarrassed
• interfered (with)
• obstructed
• held back
• handicapped
• inhibited
• blocked
• delayed
• cramped
• stymied
• encumbered
• shackled
• handcuffed
• disrupted
• trammeled
• cramped one's style
• clogged
• held up
• hobbled
• short-circuited
• tied
• restrained
• manacled
• fettered
• gave a hard time
• constrained
• bound
• hog-tied
• thwarted
• bogged (down)
• frustrated
• checked
• curbed
• retained
• retarded
• stifled
• reined
• tethered
• balked
• arrested
• braked
• confined
• chained
• leashed
• hemmed (in)
• choked
• strangled
• barricaded
• baffled
• hedged (in)
• haltered
• blockaded
• foiled
• mired
• derailed
• roadblocked
• sabotaged
• smothered
• stumped
• suffocated
• repressed
• muzzled
• suppressed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• assisted
• helped
• aided
• facilitated
• opened
• released
• cleared
• made way
• freed
• liberated
• untied
• unplugged
• loosened
• encouraged
• promoted
• smoothed
• unstopped
• unclogged
• furthered

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tied-up

Verb

Florist Jess Woodrow said Haines was a friendly face who would pop into the store when she was not tied up in the capital Canberra. — CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

The legal proceedings remained tied up in the court system until their divorce was finalized with a settlement in November 2022. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026

Law enforcement found another 32 tied up inside a suitcase intended for similar buyers in August. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026

Not surprisingly, the ballooning price of oil was the driving force behind the inflationary bump as the war in Iran rages on and energy exports remain tied up in the Strait of Hormuz. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Even after Hammami was tied up (passengers used headphone cords and plastic zip ties), the passengers and crew were in danger. — Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

The town has spent years wrestling with how to reduce aircraft noise, including past efforts to impose curfews and restrictions becoming tied up in court. — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Even though The Onion doesn’t technically own InfoWars yet (the deal is still tied up in Texas bankruptcy courts), the company is forging ahead with its vision to remake the conspiracy site in its own image. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026

Now, the courts get to decide, which could cause any new regulation to get immediately tied up in litigation. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 5 Oct. 2026