pack up

phrasal verb

packed up; packing up; packs up

: to gather one's belongings together and put them in a suitcase or other container for traveling

He packed up and left town.

British, informal : to stop or quit

She packs up when things become difficult.

British, informal : to stop working properly

The lift has packed up, so you'll have to take the stairs to her flat.

Examples of pack up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

After a successful launch, pack up all the parts and fit them inside the shuttle for easy clean-up or build something completely new. —

Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024 There were no clear instructions from the Ministry of Culture on what to do, so the curators decided to pack up the collection in case Russian troops reached the capital. —

Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2024 On a warm March day—the kind that makes being indoors feel sacrilege—we were told to pack up for at least two weeks away and leave campus as soon as possible. —

Grace McCarty, SELF, 9 Oct. 2024 Yes, but: A little more than 230,000 Washingtonians packed up and moved within the state, according to the data. —

Christine Clarridge, Axios, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pack up