Stopping, Finishing, or Delaying: English Vocabulary List

to suppress emotions, desires, or impulses instead of expressing them

"Do not bottle up your angry feelings."

"He tends to bottle up his emotions instead of talking about his feelings which leads to a lot of stress and anxiety."

to complete or do something that one could not do earlier, often because of a busy schedule

"Catch up on your sleep this weekend."

"I need to catch up on my sleep this weekend because I have been staying up very late every night."

(of a machine or system) to stop working because its parts have become stuck or jammed

"The engine seizes up from overheating."

"The old engine seized up after years of sitting in the garage without any oil or maintenance."

to bring something to a conclusion or resolution, often in a way that was unexpected or unplanned

"Wind up the meeting quickly."

"Let me wind up this conversation because I have another meeting to attend in ten minutes."

to surrender, typically under pressure or force applied by external factors

"The earth yields up its hidden treasures."

"The old safe finally yielded up its secrets when the locksmith managed to open it after several hours of careful work."

to complete a task or activity thoroughly and entirely

"Finish up your homework before dinner."

"Let me finish up this report before I leave for the day so that I do not have to worry about it tomorrow morning."

to stop trying when faced with failures or difficulties

"Never give up on your dreams."

"Do not give up on your dreams just because you face a few obstacles along the way."

to stop believing that something is possible or achievable

"Don't give up on it."

"Despite numerous setbacks, the dedicated team refused to give up on their ambitious scientific endeavor."

to end a phone call by breaking the connection

"She hangs up the phone angrily."

"Do not hang up the phone yet because I need to give you one more important piece of information."

to delay the progress of something

"Traffic can hold up cars."

"The heavy snowstorm is expected to hold up deliveries across the entire region for several days."

to preserve something at a consistently high standard, price, or level

"Keep up the good work."

"It is difficult to keep up with the latest technology because new products are released every month."

(of a vehicle) to come to a stop

"He pulls up to the red light."

"A black car pulled up next to us at the traffic light and the driver rolled down his window."

to complete a meeting, task, agreement, etc.

"Let us wrap up the meeting now."

"Let us wrap up the meeting now because we have covered all the important items on today's agenda."