# butt up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/butt-up
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to be right next to something so the edges touch. You use this when there is no space between two things.

For teachers: To be positioned immediately adjacent to another surface or edge. The verb often functions as an intransitive phrasal verb followed by the preposition 'against'.

## Examples

- The new fence butts up against the neighbor's shed.
- When you install the flooring, ensure each plank butts up tightly against the next one to prevent moisture from getting underneath.
- The modern glass extension butts up against the original Victorian brickwork, creating a striking architectural contrast between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The desk butts up the wall." but "The desk butts up against the wall." — The preposition 'against' is required to connect the phrase to the object it is touching.

## Usage notes

- This phrase is frequently followed by 'against' to indicate the object being touched.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'abut' for formal contexts; 'butt up' is common in construction, carpentry, and everyday descriptions of space.

---

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.