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store up

B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To slowly collect or keep a lot of something, including problems that will happen later.

Literal meaning: To put things away so they build up in quantity.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To gather and save a large quantity of something for future use.

"Squirrels store up nuts during the autumn to survive the winter."

Grammar: separable
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

To accumulate problems, resentment, or future difficulties as a result of one's current actions.

"By ignoring the issue, you're just storing up bigger problems for yourself."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral

To hold feelings or emotions inside without expressing them, allowing them to grow.

"He had stored up a lot of anger over the years and finally let it out."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Commonly used in two key ways: accumulating physical supplies, and accumulating negative consequences (e.g., 'storing up trouble for yourself'). The negative sense is very common in warnings and advice.

Commonly used with

trouble problems resentment energy food fat

Forms

Base
store up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stores up
he/she/it
Past simple
stored up
yesterday
Past participle
stored up
have + pp
-ing form
storing up
continuous

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