bottle up

verb

1. to restrain (powerful emotion)

2. to keep (an army or other force) contained or trapped

   the French fleet was bottled up in Le Havre

Idioms and Phrases

Repress, contain, hold back; also, confine or trap. For example, The psychiatrist said Eve had been bottling up her anger for years, or The accident bottled up traffic for miles. This idiom likens other kinds of restraint to liquid being contained in a bottle. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Those worries can quickly spiral when kept bottled up so sharing your concerns with someone you trust lightens the load and gives perspective, even if they can't solve the problem for you.

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To be demoted the way that she was — there’s a certain amount of bottling up that comes with that.

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We lost and were gutted, but we had to park it and bottle up that feeling of disappointment and use it as added fuel.

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As a young carer for his father he felt unable to speak out about his own struggles, so he said he bottled up his emotions.

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But the simple act of interacting with another human rather than bottling up your fears also can bring a much-needed reprieve.

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Related Words

• repress 
• suppress