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Synonyms

pack up

British  

verb

  1. to put (things) away in a proper or suitable place

  2. informal to give up (an attempt) or stop doing (something)

    if you don't do your work better, you might as well pack up

  3. (intr) (of an engine, machine, etc) to fail to operate; break down

  4. engineering to use packing to adjust the height of a component or machine before it is secured in its correct position or alignment

"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.

"I've either got to pack up and sell up or rip all of these out so that I can stay here," she added.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

After taking their concerns to superiors, they gave up — it was not their job to make decisions like when to pack up their hoses and leave a fire that had mostly been put out.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Purchases are often limited to two per person, probably for the best given a single cookie can pack up to 500 calories.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

“We haven’t had any clients close down and pack up to the U.S.,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025

So, when Nan suggested a move, I’d pack up without a second thought.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

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.