tucked; tucking; tucks
1
a
: to push in the loose end of so as to hold tightly
tuck in your shirt
b
: to cover by tucking in bedclothes
—usually used with in
2
: to put into a snug often concealing or isolating place
a cottage tucked away in the hill
3
: eat
—usually used with away or in
tucked away a big lunch
4
a
: to pull up into a fold
b
: to make a tuck in
5
: to put into a tuck position
1
: to draw together into tucks or folds
2
: to eat or drink heartily
—usually used with into
tucked into their beer and pretzels
3
: to fit snugly
1
: a fold stitched into cloth to shorten, decorate, or control fullness
2
: a cosmetic surgical operation for the removal of excess skin or fat from a body part
a tummy tuck
3
a
: a body position (as in diving) in which the knees are bent, the thighs drawn tightly to the chest, and the hands clasped around the shins
b
: a skiing position in which the skier squats forward and holds the ski poles under the arms and parallel to the ground
4
: the part of a vessel where the ends of the lower planks meet under the stern
: a sound of or as if of a drumbeat
Synonyms
Examples of tuck in a Sentence
Verb
She hadn't sealed the envelope, but had simply tucked in the flap.
Instead of tying his shoes, he just tucked the laces inside.
The sheets were tucked tightly under the mattress.
A bag was tucked under her arm.
She tucked her hair up under her hat.
The dog tucked its tail between its legs and slinked away.
The bird slept with its head tucked under its wing.
Recent Examples on the Web
William Mullane, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024
There’s nothing smooth or neatly tucked about being a trailblazer.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
The Highlands Center is tucked away amid the pine trees and serves as an educational hub.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
He was taken with the song’s redemptive love story and tucked it away, hoping for the right time to record it.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 9 May 2024
And there’s the social signaling of jasmine: In Tunisia, men tuck a fragrant bouquet of them behind one ear or the other to indicate their relationship status.
—Nick Remsen, Vogue, 7 May 2024
While her mother had tucked away her heritage, Hofstetter is now being honored for it.
—Laura Sirikul, Variety, 4 May 2024
The reptile appears to hover in midair, with its head and neck hanging outside the car and the rest of its body tucked somewhere inside.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
In the first snap, Lovato wore their hair pushed back and tucked behind their ears, almost like a mullet pixie cut.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 27 Apr. 2024
Stacy Lambe, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
These include of oral surgery, weight loss programs, rhinoplasty, breast augmentations and reductions, abdominal tucks, and numerous other procedures.
—Chiara Accardi, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
TikTok phenom Sophie Liard has amassed over 4 million followers with her clever folds and tucks and even lent her expertise in her 2022 book The Folding Lady: Tools and Tricks for Making the Most of Your Space Room by Room.
—Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024
Worn together, it can be dressed up with a French tuck or by layering it under a chic blazer or lightweight trench coat.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2023
And their work suggests that the sun is already gearing up for its final tuck.
—Zack Savitsky, Scientific American, 3 Jan. 2024
The rug comes with a cushioned, non-slip pad that connects together like a puzzle and tucks into the rug’s corner pockets.
—Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2024
Scorsese tosses the jacket of his three-piece suit and tucks into a loveseat.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Jan. 2024
Bob Basu was surprised when demand for facelifts, tummy tucks and liposuction surged early in the pandemic.
—Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2023
Verb
While tucked neatly into the background, the professional fundraising arm of the nonprofit management services sector is reaping significant rewards by delivering big results.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024
There’s nothing smooth or neatly tucked about being a trailblazer.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
The Highlands Center is tucked away amid the pine trees and serves as an educational hub.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
He was taken with the song’s redemptive love story and tucked it away, hoping for the right time to record it.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 9 May 2024
And there’s the social signaling of jasmine: In Tunisia, men tuck a fragrant bouquet of them behind one ear or the other to indicate their relationship status.
—Nick Remsen, Vogue, 7 May 2024
While her mother had tucked away her heritage, Hofstetter is now being honored for it.
—Laura Sirikul, Variety, 4 May 2024
The reptile appears to hover in midair, with its head and neck hanging outside the car and the rest of its body tucked somewhere inside.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
In the first snap, Lovato wore their hair pushed back and tucked behind their ears, almost like a mullet pixie cut.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 27 Apr. 2024
Noun
According to various cosmetic surgery companies, a mommy makeover is a non-surgical procedure that often includes a tummy tuck, liposuction and other minimally invasive body-shaping techniques.
—Stacy Lambe, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
These include of oral surgery, weight loss programs, rhinoplasty, breast augmentations and reductions, abdominal tucks, and numerous other procedures.
—Chiara Accardi, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
TikTok phenom Sophie Liard has amassed over 4 million followers with her clever folds and tucks and even lent her expertise in her 2022 book The Folding Lady: Tools and Tricks for Making the Most of Your Space Room by Room.
—Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024
Worn together, it can be dressed up with a French tuck or by layering it under a chic blazer or lightweight trench coat.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2023
And their work suggests that the sun is already gearing up for its final tuck.
—Zack Savitsky, Scientific American, 3 Jan. 2024
The rug comes with a cushioned, non-slip pad that connects together like a puzzle and tucks into the rug’s corner pockets.
—Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2024
Scorsese tosses the jacket of his three-piece suit and tucks into a loveseat.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Jan. 2024
Bob Basu was surprised when demand for facelifts, tummy tucks and liposuction surged early in the pandemic.
—Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tuck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tuck
Cite this Entry
“Tuck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuck. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tuck
1 of 2 verb1
a
: to pull up into a fold
b
: to make a tuck in
2
: to put or fit into a snug or safe place
tucked their money away in the bank
our lunch tucked in a basket
3
a
: to push in the loose end of so as to hold tightly
tuck in your shirt
b
: to cover by tucking in bedclothes
a child tucked in for the night
tuck
2 of 2 noun1
: a fold stitched into cloth (as in a garment)
2
: an act or instance of tucking
Medical Definition
tuck
noun
: a cosmetic surgical operation for the removal of excess skin or fat from a body part see tummy tuck
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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