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.

Dayton Avenue was still closed for a block a couple of days after the election and the security staff on duty had yet to pack up and fold their klieg lights and break down their Checkpoint Charlie huts and move all the vehicles. —

Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 9 Nov. 2024 The lifelong New Yorker explained his decision to pack up for Florida in a 2019 post on the social platform X, citing taxes and his strained relationships with state and local leaders. —

Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024 Need a diversion from packing up the skeletons, bats and witches hats? —

Andrew Torgan, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024 Ohio Renaissance Festival packs up this weekend, but the future of Harveysburg, the small Ohio village where the medieval festival is held, will be decided next month. —

Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pack up