Phrasal verb
book up
Definitions
01to reserve all spaces
phr.v. to buy or reserve all the tickets or places for an event or a hotel.
phr.v. to reserve or purchase the entirety of available capacity for a specific event, venue, or service.
“A large tour group decided to book up the entire hotel for the weekend.”
“The corporate sponsors managed to book up the most desirable hospitality suites months before the tournament schedule was even finalised.”
Usage
Often used in the passive voice to describe a venue that is full.
Synonyms
02to become full
phr.v. to have no more tickets or rooms left because they have all been taken.
phr.v. to reach full capacity regarding reservations or ticket sales; used intransitively.
“You should get your tickets now because the best shows book up very quickly.”
“Popular seaside resorts tend to book up well in advance of the summer holidays, leaving few options for spontaneous travellers.”
Usage
Intransitive use; the subject is usually the event or place being filled.
Synonyms
03to study intensely
phr.v. to study a subject or a specific strategy very hard to get an advantage.
phr.v. to engage in intensive study or memorisation, particularly regarding competitive strategies or technical details.
“He spent the whole weekend booking up on chess openings for the tournament.”
“Before the debate, the candidate took three days to book up on the latest economic data to avoid being caught off guard.”
Informal · Slang
Usage
Usually followed by the preposition 'on'.
Teaching tip
This sense is much less common than the travel/reservation sense and is mostly used in competitive contexts like chess or academic exams.
Teaching tip
Focus on the particle 'up' as a marker of completion or 'fullness', similar to 'fill up' or 'eat up'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
book + object + up
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/book-up