Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To fill or seal a hole, gap, or opening completely, preventing the passage of air, liquid, or other substances. This often implies using a specific material or object to achieve the closure.

Usage

• The primary use of "stop up" is to describe the act of blocking an opening to prevent something from flowing through it. It is often used in the context of repairs or maintenance.
• It is a separable phrasal verb. The object (the thing being blocked) can come between "stop" and "up" or after "up."
  • Correct: Stop up the hole. / Stop the hole up.
  • Correct: We need to stop up the leak.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The plumber used a special sealant to stop up the crack in the pipe.
  • You should stop that drain up to prevent odors from coming into the room.
  • They tried to stop up the mouse hole with steel wool.

Advanced Usage

• "to be stopped up": This passive/adjectival form describes a state of being blocked or clogged.
  • My nose is stopped up because of my cold.
  • The kitchen sink is stopped up again.

Variants and Related Words

• Stopper (n): An object, such as a cork, used to close an opening.
  • He put the stopper back in the wine bottle.
• Stoppage (n): The act of stopping or the state of being stopped; an obstruction.
  • The stoppage of the drain was caused by hair.
• Block up: A near-synonymous phrasal verb meaning to obstruct.
  • Leaves blocked up the gutter.

Synonyms

• Plug: To fill a hole tightly with an object.
• Seal: To close something securely to prevent anything from entering or escaping.
• Clog: To block or become blocked, typically with a thick or sticky substance.
• Cork: To close a bottle or other opening with a cork or similar object.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Stop off: To make a short visit during a journey.
  • We'll stop off in Paris for a day on our way to Rome. (Note: This is a different meaning from "stop up.")
• Stop over: To stay somewhere for a short time during a long trip.
  • Our flight stops over in Dubai for three hours.

Related Idioms

• Stop-gap (n): A temporary solution or measure.
  • The extra funding is just a stop-gap until we find a permanent solution. (Note: This is a compound noun, not a direct use of the phrasal verb "stop up.")

Verb

1. fill or close tightly with or as if with a plug
   • plug the hole
   • stop up the leak