# slow up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/slow-up
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to move or happen more slowly. You use this when you want someone to reduce their speed or when a process takes longer than usual.

For teachers: to reduce the speed of movement or the rate of progress. While often synonymous with 'slow down', it frequently implies a temporary delay or a physical obstruction causing the deceleration.

## Examples

- The traffic began to slow up as we approached the construction zone.
- We need to slow up a bit so the rest of the group can catch up with us.
- The supply chain issues are likely to slow up production for the remainder of the fiscal quarter.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The rain slowed up the game down." but "The rain slowed up the game." — do not combine 'up' and 'down' in the same phrasal verb; choose one particle.

## Usage notes

- can be used both transitively (slowing something else) and intransitively (slowing oneself).
- Teaching tip: compare with 'slow down'; 'slow up' is less common in modern American English and often carries a nuance of being hindered by an external factor.

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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.