Also rollup something, as a carpet or window shade, that can be rolled up when not in use.
Informal. an increase, as in value or cost.
to form or cause to form a cylindrical shape
(tr) to wrap (an object) round on itself or on an axis
to roll up a map
informal (intr) to arrive, esp in a vehicle
(intr) to proceed or develop
(intr) to assemble; congregate
informal a cigarette made by hand from loose tobacco and cigarette paper
(in the 19th century) a mass meeting of workers on an issue of common concern
archaic the attendance at any fixture
they had a good roll-up
Accumulate, as in He rolled up a fortune in commodity trading , or She rolled up a huge number of votes in this district . [Mid-1800s]
Arrive in a vehicle, as in They rolled up in a taxi at exactly eight o'clock .
What does roll-up mean? A roll-up is something that can be easily rolled into a cylinder, such as a rug or a window shade. Informally, a roll-up is also an increase, such as with a roll-up cost. Roll-up can also be spelled rollup. Roll up means to wrap an object around itself or on an axis, as with a map. Informally, roll up can also mean to arrive, especially in a vehicle. Example: Roll up that blanket and throw it in the picnic basket.
First recorded in 1745–55; noun use of verb phrase roll up
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Drivers even have the option of jettisoning doors for a rope to enclose them and a roll-up soft-top roof, if they choose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
When police opened the roll-up door, they found 21 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels confined inside, several of which were pregnant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
And the bench of venture-backed AI roll-up companies has expanded in recent years to include companies like London-based Dwelly, which acquires property-management companies, and San Francisco-based Crescendo, which focuses on call centers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
My generation found it much easier to roll-up big fat nest eggs than any other generation in American history.
From Barron's ● Mar. 14, 2026
You could recognize a shabby leather jacket, a hairy neck, a black T-shirt or sweatshirt, and his fingers with a roll-up cigarette in them.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
And Nelson expects Mama’s, under the direction of CEO Adam Michaels, to continue to be “stingy” in what it pays to roll up competitors.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
It also lays the groundwork for Musk to further roll up his technology empire following the merger of SpaceX and xAI last month, according to Wedbush.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
Walkers must therefore roll up their trousers and wade across the river within an hour either side of low tide.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
PE-backed ventures frequently roll up several once independent practices in a field under one umbrella company that can save money by pooling resources and becoming big enough to negotiate with insurers for higher rates.
From Slate ● Mar. 17, 2026
I roll up the sleeves and put on the charm bracelets that each of my grandmothers got me for my tenth birthday.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
“I think we’re about two-and-a-half years into a 10- to 15-year cycle of AI-enabled roll-ups winning out in these trillion-dollar industries and spaces,” he said, citing software as an example.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
"The FTC will continue to scrutinize and challenge serial acquisitions, roll-ups, and other stealth consolidation schemes that unlawfully undermine fair competition and harm the American public," Khan said in a statement on Thursday.
From Reuters ● Sep. 21, 2023
We were girls who loved puffy stickers, fruit roll-ups, jelly shoes, Madonna bracelets and Cabbage Patch Kids.
From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
The German case, which also involved the arrest of a senior official in the BND, Germany’s foreign intelligence service, followed roll-ups of suspected Russian operatives in the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Poland and Slovenia.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 17, 2023
With serrated knife, slice each roll into 8 small "roll-ups."
From The Perdue Chicken Cookbook by Perdue, Mitzi
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.
