1 A2 neutral
To place items into boxes, typically for storage, moving, or shipping.
"We spent the whole weekend boxing up our apartment before the big move."
separable
box up
A2 neutral separable transitive
To put things into boxes, especially when packing to move or store them.
In plain English
To put things inside boxes to store or take somewhere.
What does "box up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To put food into a box for takeaway or to take leftovers home from a restaurant.
"Could you box up the rest of my pasta? I'll take it home for lunch tomorrow."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To place items inside a box.
Actually means
To put things inside boxes to store or take somewhere.
Usage tip
Very commonly used when moving house or clearing out a space. Also used in e-commerce (boxing up orders) and food contexts (boxing up leftovers). Straightforward and very widely understood.
Words that pair with "box up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
belongings stuff books leftovers order items
How to conjugate "box up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
box up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
boxes up
he/she/it
Past simple
boxed up
yesterday
Past participle
boxed up
have + pp
-ing form
boxing up
continuous
Hear "box up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "box up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "box up"
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Keep exploring
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