1 B1 neutral
To fasten all the buttons on a piece of clothing.
"It's cold outside — make sure you button up your coat before you leave."
separable
button up
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To fasten the buttons on a garment; also (informal) to stop talking or keep something secret.
In plain English
To close your shirt or jacket by doing up the buttons; or to tell someone to be quiet.
What does "button up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
(Informal) To stop talking, or to refuse to speak about something.
"He buttoned up completely when the police started asking questions about that night."
3 B2 idiomatic formal
To complete or finalise something, ensuring all details are in order.
"Let's button up the contract details this afternoon so we can sign first thing tomorrow."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To fasten (up) the buttons on a garment.
Actually means
To close your shirt or jacket by doing up the buttons; or to tell someone to be quiet.
Usage tip
The literal sense (fastening buttons) is common and neutral. The figurative sense of going quiet or keeping information secret is informal. 'Button it' is a ruder variant of telling someone to be quiet. The figurative sense is less common than 'clam up' or 'zip it'.
Words that pair with "button up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
shirt coat jacket collar lips secret
How to conjugate "button up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
button up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
buttons up
he/she/it
Past simple
buttoned up
yesterday
Past participle
buttoned up
have + pp
-ing form
buttoning up
continuous
Hear "button up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "button up"
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Keep exploring
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