button up

verb

1. to fasten (a garment) with a button or buttons

2. informal,  to conclude (business) satisfactorily

3. slang,  taciturn; silent and somewhat tense

Idioms and Phrases

Close securely, fasten, as in The house was all buttoned up , or Button up your coat—it's very cold . [Late 1500s]

Also, button one's lip . Hold one's tongue, keep quiet. For example, Please button your lip about the surprise . A variant of this usage, button one's mouth , dates from the 17th century. [Mid-1800s]

Finish successfully, as in I've got this report all buttoned up . [c. 1940]

Related Words

• beat 
• clinch 
• complete 
• cover 
• crown 
• eclipse 
• exceed 
• finish 
• surpass 
• wrap up