shut up
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle up
Meanings
Close completely; stop talking
Why “up”? Filling to the top. Reaching the upper limit means finishing.
“Shut up. I'm trying to think.”
“The crowd shut up when the singer walked on stage.”
Don't confuse with
Test yourself
“Shut up. I'm trying to think.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
shut down
A contrast learners often mix up
Stop operating completely
shut out
A contrast learners often mix up
Prevent someone or something from being included
add up
Same up pattern: finishing
Combine into a larger total; Make sense or seem true
break up
Same up pattern: finishing
Break into pieces; End a relationship or gathering
call up
Same up pattern: finishing
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
clean up
Same up pattern: finishing
Tidy thoroughly
clear up
Same up pattern: finishing
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
close up
Same up pattern: finishing
Shut a shop or building, often at the end of the day; Move closer together so there is no gap; (of a wound or opening) heal or seal itself; Become silent or unwilling to share feelings
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “shut up”.
Practice “shut up” in Sink In
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