TYING UP Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

tying up

verb

variants or tieing up

present participle of tie up

as in hampering

to create difficulty for the work or activity of an accident is tying up traffic at 5th and Broadway

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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.

Recent Examples of tying up For example, a local retailer can combine sales history, seasonal trends and inventory data to identify which products to reorder and which are tying up cash. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Richardson turned his back to her and appeared to be tying up the string of his pants. — Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 20 Aug. 2026 The episode centered on the botched transfer of crime boss Heath Everett (Jeffrey Vincent Parise), but true fans were more glued to the love story tying up between Winter’s Tim Bradford and Melissa O’Neil’s Lucy Chen. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026 Much of the penultimate episode is about tying up loose ends and spending some wholesome time together before the eliminations inevitably begin, and … honestly, everyone is just getting along pretty well. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 11 July 2026 Council member Johnathan Duncan, who represents the Sixth District, questioned whether entering another stadium project negotiation is tying up too much of the city’s tax revenue. — Dylan Lysen june 30, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026 Nearly 40% of calls handled by Sacramento’s emergency medical services system were non-emergencies, tying up ambulances and paramedics, delaying urgent medical responses and adding nearly $5 million in costs to the city, according to a city audit. — Reeti Malhotra may 29, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026 As many spread awareness to avoid tying up a dog outside, Ezra's owner is hoping someone can help. — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 19 May 2026 Thirty seconds later, Faber’s shot from the point ticked off Heiskanen’s glove and past Oettinger, tying up the game 1-1. — Michael Russo, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tying up

Verb

Birds visiting the feeder can get the goo on their wings, hampering their ability to fly and possibly leading to their untimely deaths.

— Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Rescuers will use an extrication device and a helicopter, Fathur said, adding that there were no reports of people missing and no challenges hampering the search.

— Reuters, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of hampering

Verb

The Supreme Court has been a fitful friend to Trump in his second term, alternately enabling and impeding him.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Cornstarch can create issues like clogging sprayers, impeding root growth, or interfering with leaf function.

— Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of impeding

Verb

More than 1,300 people are missing, and a lack of connectivity, power and resources are hindering rescue efforts.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
The charges are hindering proceedings by disorderly conduct, a Class A misdemeanor, and disrupting a meeting or procession, a Class B misdemeanor.

— Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of hindering

Verb

The comprehensive regimen is meant to uncover any prior criminal conduct in an applicant’s past as well as embarrassing personal information that could make an employee vulnerable to blackmail.

— Eric Tucker, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Since then, Hochman has been slammed for playing politics, embarrassing his office and even backing down for no reason other than the pressure was too intense.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of embarrassing

Verb

In 2023, thawing permafrost led to a rock collapse into South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim, India, generating a wave that burst through the moraine holding back the glacial lake.

— Umesh Haritashya, The Conversation, 29 Aug. 2026
Iris Skrami, chief executive officer of Renoon, said many companies are still holding back on their DPP work.

— Evan Clark, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of holding back

Verb

In July, Michaels was diagnosed with a complicated obstructing kidney stone, which required immediate surgery and the placement of a ureteral stent.

— Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
But Seminole’s Special Magistrate Sherry Sutphen chastised Moncrief, a resident of The Springs neighborhood, for likely damaging the river’s ecology behind his home and obstructing its natural flow.

— Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of obstructing

Browse Nearby Words

tying (together)

tying up

tyke

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“Tying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tying%20up. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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verb

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