1 C1 neutral
To catch an animal by throwing a looped rope around it.
"The cowboy lassoed up the runaway calf in one smooth throw."
separable
lasso up
C1 informal separable transitive
To catch or secure something (typically an animal) with a lasso; figuratively, to catch or obtain something with effort.
In plain English
To catch something by throwing a rope loop around it, like a cowboy catches a horse.
What does "lasso up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
(Informal) To grab or secure something or someone, often with effort or cleverness.
"She managed to lasso up a last-minute sponsor for the event."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Fully transparent — to use a lasso (a looped rope) to catch and secure something.
Actually means
To catch something by throwing a rope loop around it, like a cowboy catches a horse.
Usage tip
Primarily used in ranching, rodeo, and Western American contexts. The figurative use is informal and not especially common. Most speakers would simply say 'lasso' without 'up'.
Words that pair with "lasso up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
calf steer horse cattle animal
How to conjugate "lasso up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
lasso up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lassos up
he/she/it
Past simple
lassoed up
yesterday
Past participle
lassoed up
have + pp
-ing form
lassoing up
continuous
Hear "lasso up" in the wild
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