tying up

variants or tieing up
Definition of tying upnext
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tying up
Verb
  • Bill Essayli, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have aggressively charged protesters with assaulting and impeding the actions of immigration agents, filing more than 100 cases.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Homan said nearly 160 people were arrested in the month of January for impeding or assaulting federal officers.
    Ashley Grams, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Dry air and gusty winds are hampering fire crews, particularly in the southern Rockies and Plains, where blustery conditions in New Mexico and Texas are fueling rapid spread through tinder-dry grasses.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Rescuers faced a winter storm dumping more than 2 inches of snow an hour in the area, grounding rescue helicopters and hampering ground crews trying to reach the missing skiers, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Here's how often to prune succulents without hindering their growth.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
  • At last week’s Rio de Janeiro Open, there was an even more severe case of a hindrance hindering the player who committed it much more than the player on the other side of the net.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • One day, Will goes viral after embarrassing ROAR league MVP, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), during a streetball challenge, prompting his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, to sign him to a season-ending contract in a desperate attempt to juice ticket sales.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán doubled down Monday on an unsubstantiated claim that Ukraine is deliberately holding back shipments of Russian oil, and accused Kyiv of seeking to topple his government.
    SAM McNEIL, Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán doubled down Monday on an unsubstantiated allegation that Ukraine is deliberately holding back shipments of Russian oil, and accused Kyiv of seeking to topple his government.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • This bag will protect the toilet from paint without obstructing the space between the wall and the tank.
    Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Cops charged Coulibaly with assault on a police officer, obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 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 1 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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