1 B1 neutral
To block or plug a hole, gap, or passage so nothing can pass through.
"We stopped up the gap under the door to keep the draught out."
separable
stop up
B1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To block or plug a hole or passage; or (British English, informal) to stay awake late.
In plain English
To fill a hole so nothing can get through it, or to stay awake late at night.
What does "stop up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 informal
(British English, informal) To stay awake until late at night.
"The children stopped up until midnight watching the New Year fireworks on television."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To stop the flow through something by plugging it.
Actually means
To fill a hole so nothing can get through it, or to stay awake late at night.
Usage tip
Has two main senses: the physical sense (blocking/plugging) is used in both British and American English; the sense of staying up late is more specifically British. The physical sense is separable; the intransitive 'stay awake' sense is not.
Words that pair with "stop up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
hole drain pipe gap late all night
How to conjugate "stop up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stop up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stops up
he/she/it
Past simple
stoped up
yesterday
Past participle
stoped up
have + pp
-ing form
stoping up
continuous
Hear "stop up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "stop 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.