pack up

2 meanings

Meanings
  1. 1 put things into bags or boxes to take somewhere B1
  2. 2 stop working (a machine or device) B2
1 pack sth up

put things into bags or boxes to take somewhere

B1

What does "pack up" mean in this sense?

Packing up means gathering your belongings, equipment, or supplies and putting them into bags, boxes, or containers, usually because you are about to leave or move on. It suggests a complete process of getting everything together and ready for transport. You might pack up your bags before a trip, pack up a tent at the end of a camping weekend, or pack up your tools at the end of a working day. It is also very natural to use without naming a specific object when everyone already knows what needs to be packed — for example, telling a group 'OK, let's pack up!' at the end of an event. The phrase 'pack up and go' or 'pack up and leave' is especially common when someone is preparing to move on from a place.

Examples

How to use it

pack up + object

The most common pattern — use this when naming the things being packed.

We need to pack up the equipment before the rain starts.

pack + object + up

Short noun objects and possessives can go between the verb and particle.

He packed his things up and called a taxi to the airport.

pack + pronoun + up

When using a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between the verb and particle — never after 'up'.

The boxes are ready — can you pack them up and label them?

pack up (no object)

Used without an object when it is clear from context what is being packed, especially at the end of an event or trip.

Right, it's nearly five o'clock — let's pack up and head home.

be packed up

The passive is natural when the focus is on the things being packed rather than the person doing it.

All the decorations were packed up and put into the storage room.

Common Collocations

pack up your thingspack up the equipmentpack up the tentpack up your bagspack up and gopack up the car

Common Mistakes

Pronoun after the particle

When the object is a pronoun ('it', 'them', 'everything'), it must go between 'pack' and 'up'. Placing it after 'up' is ungrammatical.

✗ Can you pack up it before we leave?
✓ Can you pack it up before we leave?
Confusing with 'pack away'

'Pack away' focuses on putting things into storage or out of sight, while 'pack up' emphasises gathering everything together in preparation for leaving or moving on. They overlap, but 'pack up' has a stronger sense of getting ready to go.

✗ We packed away the tent and drove to the next campsite.
✓ We packed up the tent and drove to the next campsite.
Separating with very long noun phrases

It sounds awkward to put a very long noun phrase between 'pack' and 'up'. Keep long phrases after the particle instead.

✗ Please pack all the heavy camera equipment and lighting stands up.
✓ Please pack up all the heavy camera equipment and lighting stands.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English. It is very commonly used without an object (intransitively) when everyone understands what is being packed: 'OK everyone, let's pack up!'

2 pack up

stop working (a machine or device)

B2

Sense 2: What does "pack up" mean?

To say that something has 'packed up' means it has stopped working, usually at an inconvenient moment. This expression is used almost exclusively in British informal English, and the subject is always a machine, appliance, or vehicle — never a person. It often carries a tone of frustration, especially when the failure is unexpected or happens at the worst possible time. You might hear it used with 'again' to express exasperation at a recurring problem, as in 'The boiler's packed up again.' In more formal situations, or when speaking with an American English speaker, you would be better understood using 'break down', 'fail', or 'malfunction' instead.

Examples

How to use it

device/machine + pack up

The subject is always an inanimate object such as an appliance, device, or vehicle — 'pack up' in this sense never takes an object.

The dishwasher packed up just as we were expecting ten guests for dinner.

device/machine + have/has + packed up

The present perfect is especially natural when the failure has a direct effect on the present situation — the device is still not working now.

My laptop has packed up and I've got a deadline tomorrow.

device/machine + pack up + again

Adding 'again' emphasises that this is a repeated problem, which is a very common and natural construction with this phrasal verb.

The central heating has packed up again — this is the second time this winter.

device/machine + pack up + adverb/adverbial phrase

Adverbs like 'completely' or phrases like 'right in the middle of' are often added to show how total or untimely the failure was.

The printer completely packed up right before I needed to print my CV.

Common Collocations

laptopcarwashing machineboilerprinterphone

Common Mistakes

Confusing the two senses of 'pack up'

In this sense, 'pack up' always has a machine or device as its subject and never takes an object. If a person is the subject or if there is an object, the meaning shifts to 'put things away' or 'finish an activity', which is a completely different sense.

✗ My colleague packed up right before the meeting. / The boiler packed up all the pipes.
✓ The boiler packed up right before the meeting.
Using 'pack up' in American English contexts

'Pack up' in this sense is distinctly British English and may not be understood by American speakers. In AmE contexts, use 'break down', 'give out', or 'die' instead.

✗ My car packed up on the freeway. (likely to confuse an American English speaker)
✓ My car broke down / gave out on the freeway.
Using awkward tenses like the present continuous

Because 'pack up' describes the moment or result of a failure rather than an ongoing process, the present continuous sounds unnatural. Use the past simple or present perfect instead.

✗ My washing machine is packing up right now.
✓ My washing machine has packed up / packed up this morning.

Usage

This phrasal verb is specifically British English and informal — in formal writing or AmE contexts, use 'break down', 'fail', or 'malfunction' instead. It is most natural in the present perfect ('has packed up') when talking about a current problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'pack up' always mean putting things in bags? I've heard it used differently.

No — 'pack up' has more than one meaning. In British English, it can also mean a machine stops working ('the printer packed up again') or mean to quit something informally ('pack up smoking'). The 'putting things in bags' sense always involves a concrete physical object being packed, which makes it easy to tell apart from the other meanings.

Can I say 'I have been packing up all morning' or is that wrong?

It is grammatically possible but can sound a little awkward. It is much more natural to say 'I've been packing up my things all morning' with a clear object, or to use the past simple: 'I packed up all morning.' The present perfect continuous works better when you name what is being packed.

What kinds of things are commonly packed up?

Very typical objects include things like your bags, your belongings, your stuff, the tent, the equipment, the tools, the car, or the boxes. 'Pack up your things' and 'pack up and go' are especially common fixed phrases you will hear a lot in everyday English.

Is 'pack up' used in American English or is it mainly British?

The 'put things into bags or boxes' meaning is fully international and used naturally in both British and American English. The other meanings of 'pack up' — like a machine breaking down or quitting something — are more specific to informal British English.

Can I use 'pack up' to describe a person stopping work, like quitting a job?

Not in this sense. In the 'stop working/functioning' sense, the subject must be a machine, appliance, or vehicle. If you use a person as the subject, the meaning shifts to 'pack up your things and leave', which is a different sense entirely. So 'she packed up' would be understood as 'she packed her belongings', not 'she stopped functioning'.

Is 'pack up' only used for machines, or can it describe other things like a business or a relationship?

In this specific sense, 'pack up' is strongly associated with physical devices, appliances, and vehicles — things like boilers, cars, laptops, and washing machines. Using it for abstract things like a business or relationship would sound unusual and most likely wouldn't be understood as meaning 'stop functioning'. For those contexts, speakers would use 'collapse', 'fold', or 'fall apart' instead.

Does 'pack up' suggest the machine broke suddenly or gradually?

'Pack up' can suggest either — it focuses on the end result (it's no longer working) rather than the manner of failure. If you want to emphasise a sudden, dramatic breakdown, 'conk out' would be more vivid. 'Pack up' is also compatible with a gradual decline that eventually leads to total failure.

Why does 'has packed up' sound more natural than 'packed up' in some situations?

The present perfect ('has packed up') is particularly natural when the failure is still affecting you right now — for example, if you're explaining why you can't heat your home or use your laptop at this moment. The past simple ('packed up') is more appropriate when you're describing a past event without a direct connection to the present, such as telling a story about something that happened last week.

Does 'pack up' have other meanings, or is it always about machines breaking?

Yes, 'pack up' has other meanings — most commonly, it can mean to put your belongings into bags or to finish an activity and tidy away. This page covers only the 'stop working' sense. The grammar gives you the clearest clue: in the 'stop working' sense, the subject is always a machine or device and there is never an object after 'pack up'.

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