1 C1 idiomatic informal
To take a defensive position in a building or location and prepare to resist attack.
"The survivors forged up inside the warehouse and waited for help to arrive."
inseparable
fort up
C1 informal inseparable intransitive
To take up a defended position and prepare to resist; to fortify a place.
In plain English
Lock yourself inside a place and get ready to defend it.
What does "fort up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To isolate oneself or a group from the outside world in a defensive or stubborn manner.
"The company forged up and refused to speak to any journalists."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To turn a location into a fort — set up defensive fortifications.
Actually means
Lock yourself inside a place and get ready to defend it.
Usage tip
Primarily American English, with military and frontier connotations. Can be used literally (troops fortifying a position) or figuratively (a company refusing to engage with critics). Relatively uncommon outside American contexts.
Words that pair with "fort up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
position building compound troops town
How to conjugate "fort up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fort up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
forts up
he/she/it
Past simple
forted up
yesterday
Past participle
forted up
have + pp
-ing form
forting up
continuous
Hear "fort up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "fort up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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