bottle up
phrasal verb
bottled up; bottling up; bottles up
: to keep (a feeling or emotion) inside instead of expressing it : to hide (a feeling or emotion)
She's kept her feelings about the accident bottled up for too long.
I know he's angry, but he bottles it up inside instead of talking to someone about it.
Examples of bottle up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The best fruity perfumes come in all sorts of varieties, many thanks to a new crop of gourmand fragrances bottling up dessertlike scents spiked with fruits like plum, cherry, and pear.
—
Lori Keong, Allure, 20 June 2024
Lee Israel was a fiercely funny woman, but never before had McCarthy had a chance to explore the sadness that’s often bottled up in her broad comedic performances.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 May 2024
Alary said in a phone interview that his family, including his late grandmother, kept their grief bottled up through the years, tending not to talk about the murder.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2024
These enduring ties to blood and soil were bottled up during the Cold War, when the United States and its allies had to maintain a united front to contain the Soviet Union.
—Michael Beckley, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2022
Avoid propping bottles up, as this can also pose a choking risk and may even cause ear infections.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 16 May 2024
The Ravens are still figuring out how to use Flowers, who was frequently bottled up when Jackson targeted him with quick outside throws.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
At times, breaking up with a romantic partner can’t be peaceful, given the amount of resentment and vitriol that’s bottled up in the relationship; however, in most cases, parting ways can and should be respectful.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 9 May 2024
For decades, wealthy Americans have been able to count on their friends in Congress, especially in the Senate, to bottle up popular ideas for upper-income tax hikes.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Lori Keong, Allure, 20 June 2024
Lee Israel was a fiercely funny woman, but never before had McCarthy had a chance to explore the sadness that’s often bottled up in her broad comedic performances.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 May 2024
Alary said in a phone interview that his family, including his late grandmother, kept their grief bottled up through the years, tending not to talk about the murder.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2024
These enduring ties to blood and soil were bottled up during the Cold War, when the United States and its allies had to maintain a united front to contain the Soviet Union.
—Michael Beckley, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2022
Avoid propping bottles up, as this can also pose a choking risk and may even cause ear infections.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 16 May 2024
The Ravens are still figuring out how to use Flowers, who was frequently bottled up when Jackson targeted him with quick outside throws.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
At times, breaking up with a romantic partner can’t be peaceful, given the amount of resentment and vitriol that’s bottled up in the relationship; however, in most cases, parting ways can and should be respectful.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 9 May 2024
For decades, wealthy Americans have been able to count on their friends in Congress, especially in the Senate, to bottle up popular ideas for upper-income tax hikes.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bottle up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bottle up
Cite this Entry
“Bottle up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle%20up. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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