bottle up
To keep suppressed and hidden.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Do not bottle up your feelings.”
“He tends to bottle up his stress instead of talking to his friends about it.”
“Rather than continuing to bottle up his frustration, he decided to confront his manager about the unfair workload.”
- 01
bottle away
To store up or stock up.
- 02
hit the bottle
To drink alcohol steadily and in excess, particularly in response to a setback.
- 03
lightning in a bottle
That which one seeks in attempting a difficult or challenging feat.
- 04
lose one's bottle
To lose courage and determination.
- 05
new wine in an old bottle
A significant change introduced to an entrenched system or method.
- 06
old wine in a new bottle
An existing concept or institution offered as though it were a new one.
- 07
pass the bottle of smoke
To acquiesce in some falsehood; to make pretence.
- 08
put new wine in old bottles
To introduce a new idea, method, or innovation into an established, outdated or inflexible system or organization.
Last updated August 10, 2026