bolt upright

Idioms  

1. Precisely perpendicular, erect in carriage, as in She sat bolt upright in her pew. This expression was used in slightly different form by Chaucer in the late 1300s: “She was ... long as a mast and upright as a bolt” (The Miller's Tale).

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bolt upright

In fact, trying to hold yourself bolt upright all day could do more harm than good, he told Morning Live.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2025

I sat bolt upright, moving my lips with nothing coming out.

From New York Times ● Jun. 5, 2022

I have watched Holmes sit bolt upright at the defense table as her lawyers slowly wilt.

From The Verge ● Dec. 9, 2021

Typically bolt upright in her chair and staring straight ahead, Holmes has remained impassive as even one-time supporters testified to their misgivings about her actions while leading Theranos.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2021

Perhaps an hour later, a sound in the darkness brought him bolt upright.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Related Words

• perpendicular
• steep