1 C1 neutral
Of two physical objects or areas: to be directly touching or adjacent at a boundary.
"The new building butts up against the old stone wall, with barely an inch between them."
inseparable
butt up
C1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To be directly touching or adjacent to something; to encounter an obstacle or boundary.
In plain English
To touch or be right next to something, or to run into a problem or limit.
What does "butt up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
To encounter a limit, obstacle, or opposing force.
"The reform proposal butt up against fierce resistance from the finance committee."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
For the end (butt) of something to press up against something else.
Actually means
To touch or be right next to something, or to run into a problem or limit.
Usage tip
Most commonly used in the phrase 'butt up against'. The literal sense means physical adjacency (two structures sharing a boundary). The figurative sense means to encounter a problem, limit, or opposition. The figurative use is more common in American English.
Words that pair with "butt up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
wall fence boundary limit problem restriction
How to conjugate "butt up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
butt up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
butts up
he/she/it
Past simple
butted up
yesterday
Past participle
butted up
have + pp
-ing form
butting up
continuous
Hear "butt up" in the wild
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