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• lace-up
  lace-up

  noun

  anything that laces up, especially a boot with shoelaces that lace up from the vamp to the top of the boot.
• lace up
  lace up

  verb

  (tr, adverb) to tighten or fasten (clothes or footwear) with laces

lace-up

American  

[leys-uhp] / ˈleɪsˌʌp /

noun

1. anything that laces up, especially a boot with shoelaces that lace up from the vamp to the top of the boot.

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adjective

1. having a lace that is laced up as a closure.

   a lace-up blouse.

lace up British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to tighten or fasten (clothes or footwear) with laces

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adjective

1. (of footwear) to be fastened with laces

noun

1. a lace-up shoe or boot

Etymology

Origin of lace-up

First recorded in 1830–40; noun and adj. use of verb phrase lace up

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lace-up lace up

She took off her white coat to reveal a second outfit, this time a deep maroon dress with a lace-up back.

From BBC ● May 4, 2026

She steers brides who are taking GLP-1s toward more forgiving silhouettes, for instance suggesting dresses with adjustable lace-up backs instead of zippers, and prefers cuts that flare at the waist to help mask weight fluctuations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026

Dressed in tan pants and tan lace-up moccasins with a pale blue shawl wrapped around her shoulders, she walked for a quarter of a mile before stepping off the path.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2023

For the last few years, every pair of men’s lace-up shoes I’ve purchased has had some messed-up laces.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 12, 2023

He hands me a tracksuit, underwear, lace-up trainers, a warm quilted jacket, a woolly hat.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

He suggests reading between the lines: If an email offers a starting time for sign-ups, but no end time, it may be because organizers expect things to go quickly, suggesting it’s time to lace up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026

So lace up your walking shoes, throw on some shades and start strutting to the beat of this playlist.

From New York Times ● May 21, 2024

After a week away, mourning the death of his father, the Russian didn’t wait long to lace up his skates and step onto the ice.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 22, 2023

“They got to lace up your skates,” Oshie said.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 15, 2023

I began to lace up my shirt and said nothing.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss