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.
Last week, a group of about 50 residents rallied a block away from the warehouse, and demanded the company clean up the debris from the fire and then pack up and leave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
But for Sisu and Piper, it was time to pack up their toys and prepare to go home.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
My need to pack up and leave was usually caused by souring relationships with roommates or increasing rents.
From MarketWatch ● May 29, 2026
“It’s great to have the circus come to town, but then they pack up and leave nothing behind,” said Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
That final eve, after I helped Connor pack up his things, we joined Mae and Birdie at the riverwalk.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
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.
