Phrasal verb
fit up
Definition
phrasal verb. to make someone look guilty of a crime by using fake evidence.
phrasal verb. to incriminate someone by means of fabricated evidence; primarily used in British English legal or criminal contexts.
Examples
“He claims the police fit him up for the robbery.”
“The detective was accused of trying to fit up a local man to close the case quickly.”
“The defense argued that the forensic evidence had been planted in a deliberate attempt to fit up the defendant for a crime he did not commit.”
Examples
simple
“He claims the police fit him up for the robbery.”
contextual
“The detective was accused of trying to fit up a local man to close the case quickly.”
complex
“The defense argued that the forensic evidence had been planted in a deliberate attempt to fit up the defendant for a crime he did not commit.”
Usage
usually used in the passive voice or with a person as the direct object.
Teaching tip
this is a highly specific British slang term; contrast it with the American 'frame' to show regional variation in crime vocabulary.
Pitfall
They fit up him.
They fit him up.
when the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
fit + object + up
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fit-up