tie up

tie  (t)

v. tied, ty·ing (tng), ties

v.tr.

1. To fasten or secure with or as if with a cord, rope, or strap: tied the kite to a post; tie up a bundle.

2. To fasten by drawing together the parts or sides and knotting with strings or laces: tied her shoes.

3.

a. To make by fastening ends or parts: tie a knot.

b. To put a knot or bow in: tie a neck scarf.

4. To confine or restrict as if with cord: duties that tied him to the office.

5. To bring together in relationship; connect or unite: friends who were tied by common interests; people who are tied by blood or marriage.

6.

a. To equal (an opponent or an opponent's score) in a contest.

b. To equal an opponent's score in (a contest): tied the game with minutes remaining.

7. Music To join (notes) by a tie.

v.intr.

1. To be fastened or attached: The apron ties at the back.

2. To achieve equal scores in a contest.

n.

1. A cord, string, or other means by which something is tied.

2. Something that connects or unites; a link: a blood tie; marital ties.

3. A necktie.

4. A beam or rod that joins parts and gives support.

5. One of the beams, usually made of wood, that are laid across a railroad bed to secure the rails.

6.

a. An equality of scores, votes, or performance in a contest: The election ended in a tie.

b. A contest so resulting; a draw.

7. Music A curved line above or below two notes of the same pitch, indicating that the tone is to be sustained for their combined duration.

Phrasal Verbs:

tie in

To bring into or have a close or effective relation; connect or coordinate: two events that do not tie in; tying the movie promotion in with the book sales.

tie into

To attack energetically.

tie up

1. Nautical To secure or be secured to a shore or pier; dock.

2. To impede the progress of; block: The accident tied up traffic.

3. To keep occupied; engage: She was tied up in a meeting all morning. The phone was tied up for an hour.

4. To place (funds) so as to make inaccessible for other uses: tied up her cash in long-term investments.

Idioms:

tie one on Slang

To become intoxicated; go on a drinking spree.

tie the knot Slang

1. To get married.

2. To perform a marriage ceremony.

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[Middle English tien, from Old English tgan; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.]

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tie up

Verb

1. to bind (someone or something) securely with string or rope

2. to moor (a vessel)

3. to commit (money etc.) so that it is unavailable for other uses: people don't want to tie up their savings for a long period

Noun

tie-up

a link or connection

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	tie up - secure with or as if with ropes; "tie down the prisoners"; "tie up the old newspapers and bring them to the recycling shed" tie down, truss, bind chain up - tie up with chains; "chain up the prisoners" faggot up, fagot, faggot - bind or tie up in or as if in a faggot; "faggot up the sticks" faggot, fagot - fasten together rods of iron in order to heat or weld them hog-tie - tie together somebody's limbs; "The prisoner was hog-tied" restrain, confine, hold - to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement; "This holds the local until the express passengers change trains"; "About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade"; "The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center"; "The terrorists held the journalists for ransom"
	2.	tie up - invest so as to make unavailable for other purposes; "All my money is tied up in long-term investments" invest, commit, put, place - make an investment; "Put money into bonds"
	3.	tie up - restrain from moving or operating normally; "Traffic is tied up for miles around the bridge where the accident occurred" obturate, occlude, close up, impede, obstruct, jam, block - block passage through; "obstruct the path"
	4.	tie up - secure in or as if in a berth or dock; "tie up the boat" moor, berth wharf - moor at a wharf; "The ship was wharfed" fasten, fix, secure - cause to be firmly attached; "fasten the lock onto the door"; "she fixed her gaze on the man"
	5.	tie up - finish the last row bind off knitting, knitwork, knit - needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine tie, bind - fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord; "They tied their victim to the chair"