round up

British  

verb

1. to gather (animals, suspects, etc) together

   to round ponies up

2. to raise (a number) to the nearest whole number or ten, hundred, or thousand above it Compare round down

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noun

1. the act of gathering together livestock, esp cattle, so that they may be branded, counted, or sold

2. any similar act of collecting or bringing together

   a roundup of today's news

3. a collection of suspects or criminals by the police, esp in a raid

round up Idioms  

1. Collect or gather in a body, as in We'll have to round up some more volunteers for the food drive, or The police rounded up all the suspects. This term comes from the West, where since the mid-1800s it has been used for collecting livestock by riding around the herd and driving the animals together. By about 1875 it was extended to other kinds of gathering together.

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Example Sentences

In federal courtrooms across America, a pattern has emerged in cases in which immigrants are being rounded up and jailed without a hearing.

From Salon

But it was never just about the “worst of the worst,” as the dozens of American citizens rounded up in his indiscriminate raids can attest.

From Los Angeles Times

To help narrow the field, we rounded up a handful of thoughtful splurges that earn their keep year-round.

From Salon

His 42-year-old son, David, also has had discussions with Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds to round up outside money should Paramount’s bid prove successful, according to knowledgeable people.

From Los Angeles Times

But penny-pinchers beware: as businesses start rounding up prices, the move is expected to raise costs for shoppers.

From BBC

Related Words

• bring in
• bring together
• herd