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• slow-up
  slow-up

  noun

  a delay or retardation in progress or activity; slowdown.
• slow up
  slow up

  Slacken or cause to slacken in speed, as in The train slowed up as it approached the curve, or Come on, you're slowing me up. [Late 1800s] Also see slow down, def. 1.

slow-up

American  

[sloh-uhp] / ˈsloʊˌʌp /

noun

1. a delay or retardation in progress or activity; slowdown.

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slow up Idioms  

1. Slacken or cause to slacken in speed, as in The train slowed up as it approached the curve, or Come on, you're slowing me up. [Late 1800s] Also see slow down, def. 1.

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Etymology

Origin of slow-up

First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase slow up

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

slow-up slow up

Like other manufacturers, Chrysler will go into M-4 production without slow-up.

From Time Magazine Archive

The real dangers seemed to lie in a long-term slow-up of the natural gas industry, rather than immediate difficulties.

From Time Magazine Archive

Dorothy Lamour was refused entrance to the Glenn L. Martin plane plant at Middle River, Md., on the ground that a slow-up for ogling and neck-craning "might cost us half a bomber."

From Time Magazine Archive

But there were no signs of a slow-up in buying by well-heeled consumers.

From Time Magazine Archive

Perhaps he planned a gradual slow-up to block the flying section gently; perhaps he did not realize how fast the runaway was coming.

From Careers of Danger and Daring by Moffett, Cleveland

"If every single home needs to be applied for on an exemption basis that will slow up the delivery of desperately-needed new homes, that administration will be burdensome."

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2025

Bichette hit a two-out single to right field and made the turn for second, but started to slow up as he saw Anthony Santander throwing the ball to the infield.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 31, 2023

Bond yields slumped on Wednesday to multi-month lows, but rather than moving higher on expectations the Fed will slow up on its policy tightening, this time Wall Street slumped into the red.

From Reuters ● Jan. 18, 2023

Money began to slow up, so the whole spoiled thing went away.

From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2020

All we could do was slow up and watch as they sped around a last row of cars toward the parking lot exit.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Related Words

• bog down
• embroil
• enmesh
• ensnare
• entangle
• flounder
• implicate
• involve
• stick
• tangle
• trap