pack up
Britishverb
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to put (things) away in a proper or suitable place
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informal to give up (an attempt) or stop doing (something)
if you don't do your work better, you might as well pack up
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(intr) (of an engine, machine, etc) to fail to operate; break down
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engineering to use packing to adjust the height of a component or machine before it is secured in its correct position or alignment
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pike’s dramatic retelling, which city attorneys initially blocked from release along with transcripts of deposition testimony from 11 other firefighters, corroborates previous reporting by The Times that a battalion chief ordered crews to pack up their hoses and leave, despite signs that the earlier fire was not completely extinguished.
From Los Angeles Times
And a third firefighter said last month that crew members were upset when told to pack up and leave but that they could not ignore orders, according to the texts.
From Los Angeles Times
But residents should not be too fast to pack up their umbrellas — another round of rain is forecast to arrive Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times
So…could you please go to my flat and pack up all my clothes, books, papers, and anything else you think would be useful on a small tropical island?
From Literature
“You’ve got five minutes to pack up and get out of here. We want you across that county line tonight,” the mayor growled at him.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
