First recorded in 1830–40; noun and adj. use of verb phrase lace up
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Photos posted by the website show the elder Obama daughter, a Harvard grad and rising screenwriter, wearing chunky, black boots, patterned pants and a sheer lace-up top.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 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 is thinking of the lace-up boots and means to be on the spot.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
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
In the high society of 1880s New York, even plucky, forward-thinking heroines were expected to lace up tight for potential suitors.
From New York Times ● Dec. 13, 2023
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
Do you dance to the sound of the bagpipes, or lace up the cords of your armor?
From "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz
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.
