save up

Idioms

Accumulate something for a particular purpose, as in Jan had been saving up her allowance for a new bicycle. [First half of 1800s]

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.

But Greenberg had $50,000 saved up to provide her some runway.

From Los Angeles Times

As another example, the way it treats a hypothetical middle-aged couple differs based on the amount they have saved up.

From The Wall Street Journal

He has cut back on snacks when grocery shopping, to save up for better quality meats.

From Barron's

“I don’t have much of an allowance. None, actually. I saved up a few dollars from helping the neighbor cut the grass.”

From Literature

The system presumes consent to donate organs for all adults unless they explictly remove themselves from the list, with Theresa May's government estimating in 2018 that it could save up to 700 lives each year.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023