1 B2 neutral
To equip or furnish a space with everything it needs.
"They fitted up the garage as a professional recording studio."
separable
fit up
B2 mixed separable transitive
To equip or furnish something; or, in British slang, to falsely incriminate someone.
In plain English
To put everything needed in a place — or, in British English, to get someone in trouble for something they didn't do.
What does "fit up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic slang
(British slang) To falsely incriminate an innocent person, especially by planting evidence.
"He claimed the police had fitted him up and that the drugs were never his."
“
He said he'd been fitted up by corrupt officers.
— The Guardian, reporting on the Birmingham Six miscarriage of justice cases, 1990s
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To make something 'fit' (ready) by putting things up or in place.
Actually means
To put everything needed in a place — or, in British English, to get someone in trouble for something they didn't do.
Usage tip
The 'equip' sense is neutral and interchangeable with 'fit out'. The 'falsely incriminate' sense is British slang, informal to colloquial, and strongly associated with crime dramas and tabloid journalism. The noun 'fit-up' or 'stitch-up' is common.
Words that pair with "fit up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
suspect kitchen workshop innocent man shop office
How to conjugate "fit up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fit up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
fits up
he/she/it
Past simple
fited up
yesterday
Past participle
fited up
have + pp
-ing form
fiting up
continuous
Hear "fit up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "fit up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "fit up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.