WordVale

wrap up

to finish; to summarize

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (verb) to finish something or bring something to an end

2. (verb) to cover something completely with paper, cloth, or other material

Examples

• 1. Let's wrap up this meeting in the next five minutes.
• 2. She wrapped up the gift in beautiful blue paper.

How to use wrap up

Wrap up is a phrasal verb commonly used in both professional and casual contexts to mean conclude or finish. When referring to covering objects, it's used literally; when referring to concluding activities, it's used figuratively and is more informal than 'conclude' or 'finalize'. The two senses are distinct though the first (finishing) is much more frequently used in modern English.

Register: informal

Common phrases

• wrap up the meeting
• wrap up the project
• wrap up filming
• wrap up the season
• wrap up negotiations

Synonyms

finish · conclude · end · complete · wind up

Opposites

start · begin · open

Word family

wrap · wraps · wrapped · wrapping · wrapper

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse the particle order, saying 'wrap the project up' or 'wrap up the project' interchangeably—both are correct, though 'wrap up the project' is more common with abstract nouns.

Nearby in Phrasal Verbs

weigh up, work out, wind up, zero in on, back out, brush up on

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained