ENGLISH
REFERENCE

limber up

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford Informal

phr. v.. to stretch or move your body to get ready for physical activity.

phr. v.. to perform preparatory movements to increase flexibility and readiness for physical exertion; typically used in contexts involving exercise or sports.


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.

Particles
up
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
limber + up
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.

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