Definition

1. Verb:
   • To act as an organized group: To form a group, often temporarily, in order to oppose, confront, or intimidate someone or something. It implies a collective, and often unfair, action against a target.

Usage

• The verb "gang up" is typically used with the preposition "on" to specify the target of the group action. The structure is "to gang up on someone/something."
• It often carries a negative connotation, suggesting the action is unfair, bullying, or overwhelming due to numbers.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The older kids would often gang up on the new student.
  • During the debate, the other candidates seemed to gang up on her.
  • We shouldn't gang up on him just because his idea is different.

Advanced Usage

• "to gang up against": A less common but acceptable variant meaning to unite in opposition.
  • The smaller companies ganged up against the market leader to demand fairer regulations.

Variants and Related Words

• Gang (n): A group of people, especially young people, who associate closely, often exclusively, for social reasons or for carrying out illegal activities.
  • The police were monitoring the gang's activities.
• Ganging (v, present participle): The act of forming into a gang or group.
  • Their ganging up made the situation very intimidating.

Synonyms

• Band together: To unite for a common purpose.
• Team up: To join together as a team (can be neutral or positive, unlike "gang up").
• Unite against: To come together in opposition.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Gang up on: The primary and most common phrasal verb form.
  • It's not fair for three of you to gang up on one person.

Related Idioms

• (To be) outnumbered and outgunned: To be facing a group that is larger or more powerful. This describes the situation of the target, not the action of the group.
  • In the meeting, I felt completely outnumbered and outgunned.

Verb

1. act as an organized group