To incriminate an innocent person by fabricating evidence; or to assemble a physical frame structure.
Make an innocent person look guilty by planting false evidence — or build the frame of a structure.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To falsely incriminate an innocent person by fabricating or planting evidence.
"He spent ten years in prison before it was proven he had been framed up."
I've been framed!
— Common stock phrase in crime fiction; famously uttered by wrongly accused characters in countless films and novels
To construct or assemble the frame or structural skeleton of a building.
"They framed up the walls of the shed in just a few hours."
To put together a frame (structure) — transparent in the construction sense; idiomatic in the criminal sense.
Make an innocent person look guilty by planting false evidence — or build the frame of a structure.
The criminal sense ('frame someone up') is very common in crime fiction, journalism, and film. The corresponding noun is 'frame-up'. The construction sense is more literal and less common. 'Frame' alone is frequently used without 'up' for the criminal sense.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "frame up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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