bottle up
phrasal verb
bottled up; bottling up; bottles up
: to keep (a feeling or emotion) inside instead of expressing it : to hide (a feeling or emotion)
She's kept her feelings about the accident bottled up for too long.
I know he's angry, but he bottles it up inside instead of talking to someone about it.
Examples of bottle up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Avoid propping bottles up, as this can also pose a choking risk and may even cause ear infections.
—
Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 16 May 2024
The Ravens are still figuring out how to use Flowers, who was frequently bottled up when Jackson targeted him with quick outside throws.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
At times, breaking up with a romantic partner can’t be peaceful, given the amount of resentment and vitriol that’s bottled up in the relationship; however, in most cases, parting ways can and should be respectful.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 9 May 2024
For decades, wealthy Americans have been able to count on their friends in Congress, especially in the Senate, to bottle up popular ideas for upper-income tax hikes.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
But the other conferences declined, bottling up an issue that eventually exploded.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
Once rarely used, the filibuster has become a routine part of Senate life and has kept significant legislation bottled up.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Toughness in other ways The lack of penalty minutes doesn’t mean UND has been easy to play against.
UND has bottled up opponents throughout the year.
—Brad Elliott Schlossman, Twin Cities, 2 Feb. 2024
The second-year standout has run for 186 yards and two scores in wins over Miami and Buffalo, and his success between the tackles has opened up a downfield passing game that has been bottled up all season.
—Noah Trister, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 16 May 2024
The Ravens are still figuring out how to use Flowers, who was frequently bottled up when Jackson targeted him with quick outside throws.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
At times, breaking up with a romantic partner can’t be peaceful, given the amount of resentment and vitriol that’s bottled up in the relationship; however, in most cases, parting ways can and should be respectful.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 9 May 2024
For decades, wealthy Americans have been able to count on their friends in Congress, especially in the Senate, to bottle up popular ideas for upper-income tax hikes.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
But the other conferences declined, bottling up an issue that eventually exploded.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
Once rarely used, the filibuster has become a routine part of Senate life and has kept significant legislation bottled up.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Toughness in other ways The lack of penalty minutes doesn’t mean UND has been easy to play against.
UND has bottled up opponents throughout the year.
—Brad Elliott Schlossman, Twin Cities, 2 Feb. 2024
The second-year standout has run for 186 yards and two scores in wins over Miami and Buffalo, and his success between the tackles has opened up a downfield passing game that has been bottled up all season.
—Noah Trister, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bottle up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bottle up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle%20up. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
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