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ruck up

C1 neutral mixed transitive/intransitive

to form folds or become gathered up in wrinkles

In plain English

to get pushed into messy folds

What does "ruck up" mean?

2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.

1 C1 neutral

to become folded or gathered into uneven wrinkles

"My T-shirt rucked up under my jacket and felt uncomfortable."

mixed
2 C1 neutral

to cause cloth or another soft material to gather into folds

"He rucked up the blanket with his knees during the night."

separable
Usage tip

Mainly British English. Commonly used for clothes, carpets, and fabric. Often appears as 'be rucked up'.

Words that pair with "ruck up"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

shirt skirt carpet sheet fabric trousers

How to conjugate "ruck up"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
ruck up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rucks up
he/she/it
Past simple
rucked up
yesterday
Past participle
rucked up
have + pp
-ing form
rucking up
continuous

Hear "ruck up" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "ruck up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Other ways to say "ruck up"

Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.

bunch up crease crumple gather up ride up wrinkle

Keep exploring

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