Meaning & use
tie down
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To fasten something securely with ropes or straps so it cannot move.
Grammar: Takes an object: tie down the cargo. The object can go between 'tie' and 'down': tie the cargo down.
Patterns
- tie down something
- tie something down
They tied down the tent to keep it from blowing away.
Make sure you tie down the load before driving.
The sailors tied down the sails during the storm.
verbtransitivefigurative
To limit someone's freedom or ability to move or make choices.
Grammar: Often used in the passive: be tied down by something. Takes an object: The job tied him down.
Patterns
- tie someone down
- be tied down by something
She doesn't want to be tied down by a mortgage right now.
Having a pet ties you down and makes travel harder.
He felt tied down by his family's expectations.
nouncountabletechnical
A rope, strap, or device used to secure something in place.
Grammar: Often written with a hyphen: tie-down. Countable: one tie-down, two tie-downs.
Patterns
- a tie-down
- tie-down straps
The truck driver checked the tie-downs before leaving.
Use a heavy-duty tie-down to secure the motorcycle.
The tie-down broke in the wind, and the cover flew off.
Word forms
| third person singular | ties down |
|---|---|
| past tense | tied down |
| past participle | tied down |
| -ing form | tying down |
| plural | tie-downs |
Common combinations
- tie down a load
- You must tie down the load on the roof rack.
- tie down a tent
- We tied down the tent before the storm hit.
- be tied down by
- He doesn't want to be tied down by a nine-to-five job.
- tie-down strap
- Use a tie-down strap to keep the canoe on the trailer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- secure
- More formal and general; 'tie down' specifically uses ropes or straps.
- fasten
- Can mean to close or attach; 'tie down' emphasizes preventing movement.
- restrain
- Often used for people or animals; 'tie down' is more about objects or limiting freedom figuratively.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: tie down or tie up?
tie down vs tie up
'Tie up' can mean to bind someone or to block something (tie up traffic). 'Tie down' focuses on securing something so it cannot move.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'tie down' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Tie down' means to secure something with ropes or straps. Option 2 is correct. Option 1 is wrong because you tie something to something else, not 'tie down to'. Option 3 uses 'tie down' as a noun but the sentence structure is awkward. Option 4 is a noun but 'tie down' as a noun is usually 'tie-down'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tie down”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.