# choose up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

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

## Definition

to form teams for a game by picking players one by one. You use this when you and your friends want to start a match and need to decide who is on which side.

For teachers: To form teams or sides for a competition by selecting players from a pool of participants. Often used intransitively or with 'sides' as the direct object.

## Examples

- The children choose up sides for a game of soccer.
- Every Friday afternoon, the neighborhood kids meet at the park to choose up sides for a friendly game of baseball.
- In the absence of formal rosters, the two most experienced players were designated as captains and tasked to choose up sides from the gathered crowd.

## Usage notes

- The phrase is most common in American English and usually refers to informal sports or playground games.
- Teaching tip: Explain that 'up' functions as a completive particle here, indicating the full organization of a group into teams, similar to 'team 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.