pack up
phrasal verb
packed up; packing up; packs up
1
: to gather one's belongings together and put them in a suitcase or other container for traveling
He packed up and left town.
2
British, informal
: to stop or quit
She packs up when things become difficult.
3
British, informal
: to stop working properly
The lift has packed up, so you'll have to take the stairs to her flat.
Examples of pack up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Abdullah then packed up his family’s things from his home.
—
Julia Frankel, TIME, 28 Feb. 2025
Forced to pack up what little is left of their belongings, the family heads to Sanctuary City.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
As the winds howled and friends called her with updates on the fire, the real estate people finished, packed up and headed out.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Americans will increasingly have to move from their homes to avoid the climate crisis, whether that be sea-level rise, flooding, fires, hurricanes or droughts, and many Americans don't have the resources to just pack up and move, making the displacement all the more precarious.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pack up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Julia Frankel, TIME, 28 Feb. 2025
Forced to pack up what little is left of their belongings, the family heads to Sanctuary City.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
As the winds howled and friends called her with updates on the fire, the real estate people finished, packed up and headed out.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Americans will increasingly have to move from their homes to avoid the climate crisis, whether that be sea-level rise, flooding, fires, hurricanes or droughts, and many Americans don't have the resources to just pack up and move, making the displacement all the more precarious.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pack up
Cite this Entry
“Pack up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pack%20up. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share