1 C1 idiomatic informal
To squeeze or crowd together into a small or cramped space.
"The children hutched up together on the back seat to make room for the bags."
inseparable
hutch up
C1 informal inseparable intransitive
To squeeze or crowd into a small or confined space; to huddle together.
In plain English
To squish together into a small space, like animals in a hutch.
What does "hutch up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To get into a hutch (a small animal cage) — the image of being cramped like a rabbit in a hutch.
Actually means
To squish together into a small space, like animals in a hutch.
Usage tip
Very rare and largely dialectal. Derives from 'hutch' (a small cage or box for animals). Occasionally used in British regional dialects to describe people crowding together in tight quarters.
Words that pair with "hutch up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
together in the corner against the wall in the car
How to conjugate "hutch up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hutch up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hutches up
he/she/it
Past simple
hutched up
yesterday
Past participle
hutched up
have + pp
-ing form
hutching up
continuous
Hear "hutch up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hutch up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.