free up
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle up
Meanings
Make something available, often time or resources
Why “up”? A person, thing, signal, idea, or truth becomes present, visible, active, or known.
“Cancelling the meeting freed up an hour.”
“Hiring help freed up her mornings.”
Test yourself
“Cancelling the meeting freed up an hour.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
blow up
Same up pattern: appearance
Explode or be destroyed by an explosion; Inflate something by filling it with air; Suddenly become very angry; Enlarge a photograph or image; (of a storm or argument) develop quickly into something serious
bring up
Same up pattern: appearance
Mention or raise a topic
call up
Same up pattern: appearance
Telephone someone; Order someone to join military service; Display information on a screen or computer; Bring a memory or feeling vividly to mind; Select a player for a higher-level team
catch up
Same up pattern: appearance
Reach the same level or position as someone ahead; Get up to date with news, work or events you have missed; (of bad behaviour or neglect) start to have unavoidable consequences; Spend time talking to a friend after a period apart
clear up
Same up pattern: appearance
Tidy a place by putting things away; (of weather) become bright and dry after rain or cloud; Resolve a misunderstanding or doubt by explaining it; (of an illness, rash or symptom) disappear or get better; Solve a mystery or unsolved problem
come up
Same up pattern: appearance
Arise as a topic or event; Create an idea or plan, or find an answer
crop up
Same up pattern: appearance
Appear unexpectedly in a situation
dig up
Same up pattern: appearance
Remove something from the ground by digging; Discover information that was hidden or forgotten; Damage a surface by tearing into it; Mention or revive something embarrassing from the past
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “free up” in Sink In
Drill “free up” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
