bottle up

phrasal verb

bottled up; bottling up; bottles up
: to keep (a feeling or emotion) inside instead of expressing it : to hide (a feeling or emotion)
She's kept her feelings about the accident bottled up for too long.
I know he's angry, but he bottles it up inside instead of talking to someone about it.

Examples of bottle up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Not only that, but Mad Men’s main character Don Draper bottles up his emotions while excelling at his job at the expense of his personal life like Carmy. Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 30 June 2024 Aries March 21 – April 19 Don’t keep your feelings bottled up! Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 28 June 2024 The best fruity perfumes come in all sorts of varieties, many thanks to a new crop of gourmand fragrances bottling up dessertlike scents spiked with fruits like plum, cherry, and pear. Lori Keong, Allure, 20 June 2024 Lee Israel was a fiercely funny woman, but never before had McCarthy had a chance to explore the sadness that’s often bottled up in her broad comedic performances. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 May 2024 Alary said in a phone interview that his family, including his late grandmother, kept their grief bottled up through the years, tending not to talk about the murder. Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2024 These enduring ties to blood and soil were bottled up during the Cold War, when the United States and its allies had to maintain a united front to contain the Soviet Union. Michael Beckley, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2022 Avoid propping bottles up, as this can also pose a choking risk and may even cause ear infections. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 16 May 2024 The Ravens are still figuring out how to use Flowers, who was frequently bottled up when Jackson targeted him with quick outside throws. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bottle up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near bottle up

Cite this Entry

“Bottle up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle%20up. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!