Phrasal verb
limber up
Definition
phrasal verb. to stretch or move your body to get ready for physical activity.
phrasal verb. to perform preparatory movements to increase flexibility and readiness for physical exertion; typically used in contexts involving exercise or sports.
Examples
“I need to limber up before the yoga class.”
“The athletes spent ten minutes limbering up before the match.”
“After a long day at work, she decided to limber up with some gentle stretching before bedtime.”
Examples
simple
“I need to limber up before the yoga class.”
contextual
“The athletes spent ten minutes limbering up before the match.”
complex
“After a long day at work, she decided to limber up with some gentle stretching before bedtime.”
Usage
typically used intransitively, though it can take an object in rare cases (e.g., 'limber up the muscles') — more common without an object.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'warm up' (more general) and 'stretch' (more specific action); 'limber up' is more about flexibility than just warming.
Pitfall
I need to limber the muscles up.
I need to limber up the muscles.
the particle 'up' follows the verb directly; object placement is flexible but less common than intransitive use.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
limber + up
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/limber-up