Phrasal verb
stick up
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
stick up
Past
stuck up
Past participle
stuck up
Definition
phrasal verb. to point a gun at someone to rob them, or to point upwards from a surface.
phrasal verb. to rob someone or a place using a weapon; also used intransitively to describe an object protruding upwards from a surface.
Examples
“The thief tried to stick up the local bank.”
“The robbers walked into the jewelry store and told everyone to stay quiet while they stuck up the place.”
“The witness testified that the defendant had attempted to stick up the convenience store with a replica firearm before fleeing on foot.”
Examples
simple
“The thief tried to stick up the local bank.”
contextual
“The robbers walked into the jewelry store and told everyone to stay quiet while they stuck up the place.”
complex
“The witness testified that the defendant had attempted to stick up the convenience store with a replica firearm before fleeing on foot.”
Usage
when meaning to rob, it is transitive and often takes a person or place as the object.
Teaching tip
distinguish between the literal meaning of protruding (hair sticking up) and the criminal slang; the noun form 'stick-up' is also common in crime fiction.
Pitfall
The criminal stuck the bank up.
The criminal stuck up the bank.
while technically separable, 'stick up' in the sense of robbery almost always keeps the verb and particle together before the object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
stick + up + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Pre-1
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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