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tack up

B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

Fix something to a wall with small nails; or get a horse ready to ride

Literal meaning: To push tacks upward into a surface to hold something up — transparent.

Meanings

1 A2 neutral

To attach a piece of paper, poster, or notice to a wall or board using tacks or pins

"She tacked up the new class schedule on the notice board."

Grammar: separable
2 C1 neutral

(Equestrian) To put the saddle, bridle, and other equipment onto a horse in preparation for riding

"It took her fifteen minutes to tack up her horse before the morning lesson."

Grammar: separable
3 C1 neutral

(Sailing) To steer a sailing boat on a zigzag course into the wind through a series of tacks

"They tacked up the estuary against a stiff headwind for over an hour."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

The wall/display sense is very common in everyday contexts — offices, classrooms, bedrooms. The equestrian sense ('tack up a horse') is specific to horse-riding communities but is well-established and standard within that context.

Commonly used with

poster notice horse sign photo list

Forms

Base
tack up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tacks up
he/she/it
Past simple
tacked up
yesterday
Past participle
tacked up
have + pp
-ing form
tacking up
continuous

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