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• tie-up
  tie-up

  noun

  a temporary stoppage or slowing of business, traffic, telephone service, etc., as due to a strike, storm, or accident.
• tie up
  tie up

  verb

  (tr) to attach or bind securely with or as if with string, rope, etc

tie-up

American  

[tahy-uhp] / ˈtaɪˌʌp /

noun

1. a temporary stoppage or slowing of business, traffic, telephone service, etc., as due to a strike, storm, or accident.

2. the act or state of tying up or the state of being tied up.

3. an involvement, connection, or entanglement.

   the tie-up between the two companies; his tie-up with the crime syndicate.

4. a mooring place; place where a boat may be tied up.

5. a cow barn with stalls.

6. a stall allotted to each cow in such a barn.

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tie up British  

verb

1. (tr) to attach or bind securely with or as if with string, rope, etc

2. to moor (a vessel)

3. (tr; often passive) to engage the attentions of

   he's tied up at the moment and can't see you

4. (tr; often passive) to conclude (the organization of something)

   the plans for the trip were tied up well in advance

5. to come or bring to a complete standstill

6. (tr) to invest or commit (funds, etc) and so make unavailable for other uses

7. (tr) to subject (property) to conditions that prevent sale, alienation, or other action

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noun

1. a link or connection

2. a standstill

3. an informal term for traffic jam

tie up Idioms  

1. Fasten securely; also, moor a ship. For example, Can you help me tie up these bundles? or The forecast was terrible, so we decided to tie up at the dock and wait out the storm . The first usage dates from the early 1500s, the nautical usage from the mid-1800s.

2. Impede the progress of, block, as in The accident tied up traffic for hours . [Late 1500s]

3. Keep occupied, engage, as in She was tied up in a meeting all morning . [Late 1800s]

4. Make funds or property inaccessible for other uses, as in Her cash is tied up in government bonds . [Early 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of tie-up

First recorded in 1705–15; noun use of verb phrase tie up

Example Sentences

The tie-up also envisions eventually adding short-term rentals from the Vrbo platform.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

The early-stage discussions for a tie-up, first reported late Friday by Bloomberg, could lead to the creation of an advertising behemoth with large footprints across terrestrial and satellite radio.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

The company may also face questions around a potential merger following a report that United CEO Scott Kirby pitched the idea of a tie-up between the two to senior government officials in February.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Bloomberg earlier Tuesday reported on the potential tie-up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

“A night tie-up on open water? Can this be done speedily, in the manner of an attack? Could a man who wanted to make a boarding against another’s will even do so? Is it possible?”

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Related Words

• closure
• gridlock
• interruption
• layoff
• shutdown