1 C1 idiomatic informal
(Australian English) To rob or hold up a person at gunpoint; to demand their valuables under threat.
"The bushrangers bailed up the mail coach and took all the gold."
separable
bail up
C1 informal separable transitive
To stop and detain someone by force or threat, or to corner someone for a conversation.
In plain English
To stop someone so they can't leave — either by threatening them or just by talking too much.
What does "bail up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
(Informal) To corner or trap a person and force them into a conversation they cannot easily escape.
"My neighbour bailed me up at the letterbox for nearly half an hour."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Originally referred to securing cattle in a bail (a frame that locks around an animal's neck); later extended to detaining people.
Actually means
To stop someone so they can't leave — either by threatening them or just by talking too much.
Usage tip
Primarily Australian and British English. Historically associated with bushranger (outlaw) culture in Australia. In informal modern use, it can mean to trap someone in a lengthy unwanted conversation.
Words that pair with "bail up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
robber stranger conversation corner hostage cattle
How to conjugate "bail up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bail up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bails up
he/she/it
Past simple
bailed up
yesterday
Past participle
bailed up
have + pp
-ing form
bailing up
continuous
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