gang up

verb

ganged up; ganging up; gangs up

intransitive verb

1

: to make a joint assault

ganged up on him and beat him up

2

: to combine for a specific purpose

ganged up to raise prices

3

: to exert group pressure

ganged up against the boss

Examples of gang up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the trust stands now, all four siblings would have an equal vote, which means the three other eldest Murdoch kids, most of whom are estranged from their father, could gang up on Lachlan. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Dec. 2024

Others can play supportive roles, reinforcing the conversation without overwhelming or appearing to gang up on aging parents. —Joseph Coughlin, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024

Fact checking has become a major sticking point during the 2024 election, with both Trump and his running-mate Sen. J.D. Vance complaining about fact checks during debates, arguing that the moderators are ganging up on Republicans for pointing out falsehoods. —Hadas Gold, CNN, 10 Oct. 2024

Will the Abbott crew lift the gang up to nobler heights, or will they be dragged into the gutter for some classic Sunny shenanigans? —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gang up

verb

: to join together for an often hostile purpose

ganged up on their little brother