ENGLISH
REFERENCE

budge up

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to move your body slightly to one side so that there is enough space for someone else to sit down.

phr. v.. to shift one's position, typically while seated, to accommodate another person; used almost exclusively in informal, spoken contexts.


SIMPLE

Can you budge up so I can sit down?

CONTEXTUAL

The kids had to budge up on the sofa to make room for their grandmother.

COMPLEX

If everyone on the bench would budge up just a fraction, we could probably fit the remaining passengers without anyone having to stand.

Particles
up
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
budge + up
Usage

highly informal and usually used as an imperative or a polite request among friends.

Teaching tip

this is a British English colloquialism; contrast it with the more neutral 'make room' or the American 'scoot over'.

Pitfall

Budge up the chair.Budge up so I can sit on the chair.this phrasal verb is intransitive; you do not 'budge up' an object, you simply 'budge up' to create space.

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