lie up

verb

lay up; lain up; lying up; lies up

intransitive verb

1
: to go into or remain in a dock
2
: to stay in bed or at rest

Examples of lie up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Salmon lay up to 5,000 eggs, with only about two surviving their entire life cycle. Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 22 Apr. 2024 While the draining of reservoirs let loose heavy loads of sediment, there are also areas where piles of sand, gravel and clay lie up to 15 feet deep beside tributary streams. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024 In that time, female cicadas lay up to 400 eggs, which start in tress then drop to the ground and burrow in for their long wait. USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024 In fact, a 2022 survey found that Americans, on average, lie up to four times a day. Leah Campano, Seventeen, 29 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lie up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lie up was in 1699

Dictionary Entries Near lie up

Cite this Entry

“Lie up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20up. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on lie up

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!