pack up
Britishverb
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to put (things) away in a proper or suitable place
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informal to give up (an attempt) or stop doing (something)
if you don't do your work better, you might as well pack up
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(intr) (of an engine, machine, etc) to fail to operate; break down
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engineering to use packing to adjust the height of a component or machine before it is secured in its correct position or alignment
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.
The Multistrada’s appeal is the promise of spontaneity, self-determination, volition—the idea that you can pack up and light out for the hills and maybe never come back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Maybe those comments, which received considerable coverage in Canada, were not the proximate cause for Carney's diplomats to pack up and go home over the weekend.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
A corps of volunteers and employees are working nonstop to pack up the collections, which will be relocated to other NHM properties during the renovation, Dunn said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
My need to pack up and leave was usually caused by souring relationships with roommates or increasing rents.
From MarketWatch ● May 29, 2026
There was no need to pack up their belongings, as Julia and Pearl were well provided for and would not be coming back.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
