variants
or tieing up
as in impeding
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
an accident is tying up traffic at 5th and Broadway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 tying up
That high mortgage payment reduces monthly cash flow, tying up more income that might otherwise be used for other investments.
—
Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
Instead of tying up resources on certain things, perhaps a drone and then the AI assistant, for a phone call, can handle that situation.
—Ryan Oehrli
updated February 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
At its height, the deployment represented 20% of the Navy’s surface fleet, tying up critical assets even as crises were flaring elsewhere in the world.
—Jamie Tarabay, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
Mercury retrograde later in the month encourages solitude, forgiveness, and tying up loose emotional ends.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
His strategies often involve exploiting legal loopholes and tying up loose ends in court.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
On the first goal in question, Lohrei could have gotten a little more help from Tanner Jeannot in tying up Jonah Gadjovich’s stick, but AJ Greer beat Lohrei to the loose puck and then Jeremy Swayman to the shortside.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Djerf admitted to tying up Patricia and Damien Luna, who were the only ones at home.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Now, the election outcome is being challenged, tying up the proceedings with the National Labor Relations Board, and leaving workers in limbo for an indefinite period until a decision is finalized by the government agency.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
Instead of tying up resources on certain things, perhaps a drone and then the AI assistant, for a phone call, can handle that situation.
—Ryan Oehrli
updated February 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
At its height, the deployment represented 20% of the Navy’s surface fleet, tying up critical assets even as crises were flaring elsewhere in the world.
—Jamie Tarabay, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
Mercury retrograde later in the month encourages solitude, forgiveness, and tying up loose emotional ends.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
His strategies often involve exploiting legal loopholes and tying up loose ends in court.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
On the first goal in question, Lohrei could have gotten a little more help from Tanner Jeannot in tying up Jonah Gadjovich’s stick, but AJ Greer beat Lohrei to the loose puck and then Jeremy Swayman to the shortside.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Djerf admitted to tying up Patricia and Damien Luna, who were the only ones at home.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Now, the election outcome is being challenged, tying up the proceedings with the National Labor Relations Board, and leaving workers in limbo for an indefinite period until a decision is finalized by the government agency.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tying up
Verb
-
The incident resulted in a ticket for impeding traffic, for which she was ordered to pay $197 after pleading no contest in Orange County court on Monday.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Gomez was standing to Hermansen’s right, and Ibrahima Konate to his left, but neither seemed to be impeding any less than Robertson had been deemed to be against City.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But then the team lost Kevin Fiala for the rest of the season to a fractured leg in the Olympic tournament and saw winger Andrei Kuzmenko undergo surgery last week to repair torn meniscus in his right knee, hampering an offense that ranks 28th in the 32-team league in goals.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Public frustration over the district’s academic performance reached a boiling point in August 2024, when Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker spoke at a school board meeting, saying the district’s poor performance was hampering students’ opportunities after high school.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The lawsuit accuses them of concealing climate research and hindering the adoption of renewable energy technologies.—
Taylor Millard,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Here's how often to prune succulents without hindering their growth.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
These are embarrassing own goals that Republicans simply can’t afford.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Fairchild played the free-wheeling bon vivant Nora Tyler Bing on five episodes of the sitcom classic, unwittingly embarrassing Perry's Chandler Bing to the delight of his pals.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Hungarian government has recently accused Kyiv of deliberately holding back Russian oil deliveries through the pipeline, which crosses Ukraine's territory.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The Hungarian government has recently accused Kyiv of deliberately holding back Russian oil deliveries through the pipeline, which crosses Ukraine’s territory.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Senate Bill 443 would increase penalties for obstructing highways or streets.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Brown is charged with two counts of resisting and obstructing an officer, along with open container of alcohol in a vehicle.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tying%20up. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
