cup-tied

British

adjective

(of a team) unable to play another fixture because of involvement in a cup tie
(of a player) unable to play in a cup tie because of some disallowance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Maritz had made three appearances for Arsenal earlier in the competition before joining Villa on loan in January, leaving her cup-tied and sparking an FA investigation.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2024

Ironically, Pope's replacement Martin Dubravka is cup-tied for Wembley having played for Manchester United in an earlier round, leaving former Liverpool keeper Loris Karius as the most likely contender to face Erik ten Hag's side.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2023

With Florian Kamberi cup-tied and Jermain Defoe only fit enough for the bench, Greg Stewart took over up front while Liam Boyce – January’s match-winner – was also a substitute after a bout of illness.

From The Guardian • Feb. 29, 2020

Defender Jack Hendry is cup-tied for the holders, having played for Dundee in his final game before signing for Celtic in January.

From The Guardian • May 19, 2018

With John Guidetti still cup-tied, Deila rearranged his front men with Wakaso, Commons and Scepovic all given rare starts in an eerily near-empty Stadion Maksimir.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2014

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