Meaning & use
zipper up
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitiveAmerican
To close something with a zipper, or to close your clothes this way.
Grammar: Can take an object (zipper up your coat) or stand alone (zipper up quickly).
Patterns
- zipper up something
- zipper something up
- zipper up
It's freezing outside, so zipper up your jacket.
She zippered up her boots before stepping into the snow.
Hurry and zipper up — the bus is coming.
verbtransitiveAmerican
To fasten a bag, tent, or cover by pulling its zipper closed.
Grammar: Usually takes an object: zipper up the tent.
Patterns
- zipper up something
- zipper something up
He zippered up the tent to keep the mosquitoes out.
Please zipper up your suitcase before we leave.
Word forms
| third person singular | zippers up |
|---|---|
| past tense | zippered up |
| past participle | zippered up |
| -ing form | zippering up |
Common combinations
- zipper up a jacket
- Zipper up your jacket before you go out.
- zipper up a bag
- She zippered up the bag and carried it to the car.
- zipper up tight
- Zipper up tight so the cold doesn't get in.
- zipper something all the way up
- Zipper your coat all the way up to your chin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- zip up
- The usual British form; use it in British English, though Americans understand it.
- fasten
- More general and formal; it can mean buttons, buckles, or zippers, not just zippers.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: zipper up or zip?
zipper up vs zip
In British English 'zip up' means the same as 'zipper up'. In American English 'zip' is more often the sound or speed of something.
Practice
Choose the best sentence.
Choose one answer.
With a phrasal verb like 'zipper up,' the object usually comes after 'up' in this sentence, so 'zippered up her coat' is correct. 'Zippered her coat up' is also possible, but option B is less natural here; the other options place the object incorrectly or use the wrong preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “zipper up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.