button up
Britishverb
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to fasten (a garment) with a button or buttons
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informal to conclude (business) satisfactorily
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slang taciturn; silent and somewhat tense
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Close securely, fasten, as in The house was all buttoned up , or Button up your coat—it's very cold . [Late 1500s]
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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]
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Finish successfully, as in I've got this report all buttoned up . [c. 1940]
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.
Dressed in a crisp white button up shirt and khaki pants, Doncic sat next to Reaves on the bench.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
“It was never particularly clear what constitutional theory undergirded the oath of office charges. I suspect the DA’s office will button up their theory and go back to the grand jury.”
From Salon • Mar. 13, 2024
The button up royal blue tops feature yellow and black piping on the cuffs of the sleeves and around the neck.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2023
Bratt’s team began to button up witness accounts and stress-test factual evidence against the law.
From Washington Post • Mar. 1, 2023
“Can you button up my dress?” she asked.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
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.
