ENGLISH
REFERENCE

roll up the sidewalks

idiom
Meaning

To close all commercial businesses for the day.


Examples
SIMPLE

In this small town, they roll up the sidewalks at eight o'clock.

CONTEXTUAL

We arrived in the village late at night, only to find that the locals had already rolled up the sidewalks.

COMPLEX

Once the summer tourist season concludes, the shopkeepers roll up the sidewalks, leaving the coastal town in a state of quiet, winter hibernation.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    call roll

    To make a roll call; to take attendance.

  2. 02

    dice roll

    Something unpredictable or unexpected.

  3. 03

    heads will roll

    Some people will be fired for incompetence.

  4. 04

    ready to roll

    Of a person, machine, vehicle, or plan, fully prepared to begin functioning and operating.

  5. 05

    roll back the years

    To produce a sense of nostalgia.

  6. 06

    roll in the aisles

    To laugh uproariously.

  7. 07

    roll in wealth

    To be very rich.

  8. 08

    roll of the dice

    A risky or uncertain attempt to do something, especially in an unfavourable situation.

Last updated April 17, 2026