tying up

variants or tieing up
present participle of tie up

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 tying up For Garfield, playing Altman was tying up a loose end in his career. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026 Two weeks later, he was accused of tying up, robbing, and killing a man inside a Chicago home. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 The henchmen are tying up loose ends after eliminating Kerry’s father, who informed on the Gotham crew to avoid serving his prison sentence. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2026 For the people who loved the Detroit native and aspiring actress -- her mother, Katie Mattic, and sisters Jean Neal, Frances Douglas, Vivian Mattic and Virgie Binford -- that means tying up the loose ends of Margaret's life. — Nicole Avery Nichols, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026 In addition to tying up first responders, data center fires are costly affairs for taxpayers, as property tax abatements mean nearby residents — not data center owners — can be the ones fronting the bill whenever the fire company gets a call. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026 The ordeal closed much of the eastbound freeway for more than three hours during the evening commute, tying up surface streets across Sacramento’s grid and around Sacramento State. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026 Early in September, everything from finishing tasks to tying up loose ends takes precedence. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Richardson turned his back to her and appeared to be tying up the string of his pants, Gutierrez said. — Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 1 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tying up
Verb
  • Davis was unable to hear my questions, which required me to hold them up to the screen, hampering back-and-forth response.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Birds visiting the feeder can get the goo on their wings, hampering their ability to fly and possibly leading to their untimely deaths.
    — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Sarah Thompson, president of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, drew attention to the importance of recognizing AI’s ability to simultaneously facilitate education efficacy while impeding other forms of learning.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Throughout Europe, there are rising industry pressures, which include inflation, shipping costs and energy prices, which are impeding growth.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Robinson, 59, of Churchill, Pennsylvania, is the managing attorney at a Pittsburgh law firm, and has been charged with felony tampering and hindering apprehension for trying to conceal evidence.
    — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Their first drive against the Central Michigan Chippewas stalled, with a sack and a pair of penalties hindering the possession, and Central Michigan made its way down the field for a field goal.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Things escalate as the two share a car ride home from a fancy gala and the bad man yells at her for embarrassing him.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Neither party acted on it; Republicans wanted to avoid embarrassing Trump, while Democrats wanted to avoid embarrassing Nancy Pelosi, whose husband is an active trader.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Still, there are good reasons Trump may be holding back, not least to avoid opening a potentially painful second front, just seven months after launching his damaging and ongoing conflict with Iran.
    — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Shailene Woodley’s stylist isn’t holding back after the actress’s Emmys look caused a stir on social media.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Collaboration means different interests working through disagreements to find common ground – not obstructing progress in court while forests burn.
    — Chris Edwards, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2026
  • In three years, Whitley’s job transformed from obstructing his fatherhood to enhancing it.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tying%20up. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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