Wrap up meaning
Wrap up means to cover something in paper or cloth, often a present. It can also mean to finish a meeting, job or event.
wrap something up
wrap up · wrapped · wrapping
I still need to wrap up Mum’s birthday present.
Wrap up meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Cover something in paper or cloth, often a present
wrap something up
- I still need to wrap up Mum’s birthday present.
- She wrapped the glasses up in newspaper before the move.
- Can you wrap it up? It’s a gift.
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2
Finish a meeting, job or event
wrap something up
- Let’s wrap up the meeting. We’re out of time.
- They wrapped up filming in March.
- I’ll wrap things up here and meet you at six.
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3
Put on warm clothes
wrap up
- Wrap up warm. It’s freezing outside!
- The kids were wrapped up in coats and scarves.
- Did you wrap up well for the boat trip?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use wrap up in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is wrap up separable?
Wrap up is separable: wrap up the present, wrap the present up, wrap it up. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle.
Wrap up warm (UK) or bundle up (US) means put on warm clothes. Be wrapped up in something means be so busy with it that you forget other things.
Verb tenses for wrap up
| Present | I wrap up · she wraps up |
|---|---|
| Past | wrapped up |
| Present perfect | have wrapped up |
| -ing form | wrapping up |
Common mistakes with wrap up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: It’s a gift, so could you wrap up it?
Right: It’s a gift, so could you wrap it up?
A pronoun goes between wrap and up.
Wrong: Wrap up warmly clothes before you go.
Right: Wrap up warm before you go.
In this meaning wrap up has no object. Wrap up warm is the common phrase.
Wrong: I wraped up the gift last night.
Right: I wrapped up the gift last night.
Double the p: wrapped, wrapping.
Synonyms and opposites of wrap up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- gift-wrapwrap a present in nice paper, often in a shop
- sum upsay the main points at the end
- wind upbring a meeting or activity to an end
Opposite
- unwraptake the paper off a present
- kick offinformal; start a meeting or event
Wrap up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1I bought her a scarf. Now I just need to ___.
Wrap up means cover a present in paper.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes between wrap and up.
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3At 4:55 your boss says, “OK, let’s wrap up.” What does she mean?
At work, wrap up usually means finish.
Find your level
The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.
- get upA1get out of bed after you sleep
- take upB1start a new hobby or activity
- put upB1fix something to a wall, or raise something higher
- look upA2find information in a dictionary, a book or online
- go upB1become higher, like a price, a number or a temperature
- come upB2be mentioned or talked about
- give upB1stop doing or having something, often a habit
- break upB1end a romantic relationship
Wrap up FAQ
Questions people ask about wrap up.
What does wrap it up mean?
At work it means finish now: We need to wrap it up in five minutes. It can also be a slightly rude way to tell someone to stop talking.
What does wrap up warm mean?
It means put on warm clothes, like a coat, hat and scarf. Parents often say it to children in winter.
What is a wrap-up?
A wrap-up is a short summary at the end of something, like a news wrap-up or a meeting wrap-up.
Use wrap up in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.