# book up

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/book-up
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to reserve all spaces

phrasal verb · CEFR B1

to buy or reserve all the tickets or places for an event or a hotel.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. to become full

phrasal verb · CEFR B1

to have no more tickets or rooms left because they have all been taken.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to study intensely

phrasal verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

to study a subject or a specific strategy very hard to get an advantage.

For teachers: 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.

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.

## Examples

- The hotel is completely booked up for the summer.
- If you want a table at that new restaurant, you should call now because they book up weeks in advance.
- The conference center was booked up months before the keynote speaker was even announced, reflecting the high demand for the event.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: Focus on the particle 'up' as a marker of completion or 'fullness', similar to 'fill up' or 'eat up'.

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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.