1 A2 informal
(British) To make someone, especially a child, warm and comfortable in bed by pulling covers snugly around them.
"Grandma tucked the twins up and read them a story."
separable
tuck up
B1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To make someone comfortable and snug in bed, or to draw one's legs up into a tucked position.
In plain English
To make someone cosy in bed by pulling the blankets around them tightly, or to pull your legs up close to your body.
What does "tuck up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To draw one's legs up close to the body while lying or sitting.
"She tucked her legs up under her and settled into the armchair with a book."
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic informal
(British, informal, passive) To be safely settled or hidden away somewhere comfortable.
"They were all tucked up at home while the storm raged outside."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To fold or push fabric upward and around something.
Actually means
To make someone cosy in bed by pulling the blankets around them tightly, or to pull your legs up close to your body.
Usage tip
Chiefly British English. 'Tuck up in bed' is a very common collocation. Can also be used reflexively ('tuck yourself up'). In the body-position sense, it is intransitive.
Words that pair with "tuck up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
bed blanket children warm cosy safely
How to conjugate "tuck up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
tuck up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tucks up
he/she/it
Past simple
tucked up
yesterday
Past participle
tucked up
have + pp
-ing form
tucking up
continuous
Hear "tuck up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "tuck up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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