tooled up

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparableslangBritish

   carrying a weapon, especially a gun or knife

   Grammar: Used after a linking verb: they were tooled up. Not usually before a noun.

   Patterns

   • be tooled up
   • tooled up with something
   • tooled up and dangerous

   Police said the men were tooled up and ready for trouble.

   He walked in tooled up with a knife.

   The gang were tooled up and looking for a fight.

2. 2adjectivenot comparableinformal

   having the equipment or tools needed for a job

   Grammar: Informal and often humorous; usually after 'be' or 'get'.

   Patterns

   • be tooled up
   • get tooled up
   • tooled up for something

   We're tooled up for the repair job now.

   He got tooled up with a new drill and saw.

Common combinations

tooled up with a gun

The report said the robber was tooled up with a gun.

tooled up and dangerous

Officers described the suspect as tooled up and dangerous.

get tooled up

We need to get tooled up before we start the work.

tooled up for

They were tooled up for a long job.

Synonyms and how they differ

armed

The neutral, formal word; 'tooled up' is slang and sounds more threatening.

packing

American slang for carrying a gun; 'tooled up' is mainly British.

equipped

Neutral and used for tools or gear, not weapons.

Opposites

Word family

tool noun

An object used to do work; the base word.

tool up phrasal verb

To get the tools or weapons you need.

Commonly confused: tooled up or tuned up?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “tooled up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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