TIED UP Synonyms: 152 Similar and Opposite Words

tied-up 1 of 2

adjective

as in engaged

involved in often constant activity we'll be tied-up with work for the next several days

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tied up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tie up

as in hampered

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

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Example Sentences

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 tied-up

Verb

Florist Jess Woodrow said Haines was a friendly face who would pop into the store when she was not tied up in the capital Canberra. — CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 The legal proceedings remained tied up in the court system until their divorce was finalized with a settlement in November 2022. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026 Law enforcement found another 32 tied up inside a suitcase intended for similar buyers in August. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026 Not surprisingly, the ballooning price of oil was the driving force behind the inflationary bump as the war in Iran rages on and energy exports remain tied up in the Strait of Hormuz. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 Even after Hammami was tied up (passengers used headphone cords and plastic zip ties), the passengers and crew were in danger. — Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The town has spent years wrestling with how to reduce aircraft noise, including past efforts to impose curfews and restrictions becoming tied up in court. — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Even though The Onion doesn’t technically own InfoWars yet (the deal is still tied up in Texas bankruptcy courts), the company is forging ahead with its vision to remake the conspiracy site in its own image. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026 Now, the courts get to decide, which could cause any new regulation to get immediately tied up in litigation. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 5 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tied-up

Adjective

If companies want more engaged workers, ADP CEO Maria Black says CEOs and senior leaders should start by asking themselves if employees trust them.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
That’s a striking increase from 2022, when 39% of engaged or married 18-to-34-year-olds reported having one — and only 15% of engaged or married Americans overall did.

— Grace Kelleher, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of engaged

Verb

Creating lightweight device Neuroscientists studying behavioral brain activity have long been hampered by tethered equipment that kept laboratory animals locked in place.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
That uncertainty leaves the Chargers trying to get anything out of an offense hampered by the limitations of what's available to them right now in what increasingly looks like a lost season.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of hampered

Verb

In his ruling, Judge Joseph Montano found that prosecutors had impeded grand jurors who wanted to hear from defense witnesses.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
The ongoing conflict that has driven people from their homes in Iran as well as an internet shutdown and a lack of full cooperation from the two governments partially impeded the team's efforts to get information.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of impeded

Verb

Special teams had had a sprinkling of errors — like the game-opening 81-yard kickoff return Miami allowed — hindered that unit’s performance each week.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Credit experts said the rate-cap proposal would have hindered consumers' access to credit.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of hindered

Adjective

Jerusalem — Israeli settlers attacked a group of European diplomats in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, one day after a Washington Post journalist was injured in another assault.

— Dana Karni, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
The controversy centers in part on Tulchinsky’s reported support for a community center in Efrat, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of occupied

Verb

In the 2024 playoffs, Green Bay went into Dallas and embarrassed the Cowboys in a 48-32 rout.

— Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Philadelphia embarrassed itself in a non-competitive loss at Chicago on Monday night, unable to go drive-for-drive with journeyman quarterback Case Keenum, a 38-year-old backup’s backup.

— Andy Behrens, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of embarrassed

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tied (together)

tied-up

tied up

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“Tied-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tied-up. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tied-up

adjective

verb

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