# budge up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/budge-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

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

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

## Examples

- Can you budge up so I can sit down?
- The kids had to budge up on the sofa to make room for their grandmother.
- If everyone on the bench would budge up just a fraction, we could probably fit the remaining passengers without anyone having to stand.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Budge up the chair." but "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.

## Usage notes

- 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'.

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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.