# roll up the sidewalks

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/roll-up-the-sidewalks
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To close all commercial businesses for the day.

## Examples

- In this small town, they roll up the sidewalks at eight o'clock.
- We arrived in the village late at night, only to find that the locals had already rolled up the sidewalks.
- Once the summer tourist season concludes, the shopkeepers roll up the sidewalks, leaving the coastal town in a state of quiet, winter hibernation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.