What is the meaning of tied up?

verb

  • Secure with or as if with ropes.
    • usage: "tie down the prisoners"; "tie up the old newspapers and bring them to the recycling shed"
  • Invest so as to make unavailable for other purposes.
    • usage: "All my money is tied up in long-term investments"
  • Restrain from moving or operating normally.
    • usage: "Traffic is tied up for miles around the bridge where the accident occurred"
  • Secure in or as if in a berth or dock.
    • usage: "tie up the boat"
  • Finish the last row.

adjective

  • Kept occupied or engaged.
    • usage: "she's tied up at the moment and can't see you"; "the phone was tied up for almost an hour"
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APAWordNet. (2010). tied up. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/tied_up/definitions/1185429
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "tied up" http://smartdefine.org/tied_up/definitions/1185429 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, tied up, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/tied_up/definitions/1185429>.
MLAWordNet. "tied up" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/tied_up/definitions/1185429>