# suit up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

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

## Definition

to put on a specific set of clothes, usually a formal suit or a uniform for a special activity.

For teachers: to don a formal suit or specialized attire required for a specific role or activity. Often used in a sports context or as a colloquialism for dressing in business formalwear.

## Examples

- We need to suit up for the wedding ceremony.
- The players went into the locker room to suit up before the championship game started.
- As the mission clock reached zero, the astronauts began to suit up in their pressurized gear for the final inspection.

## Usage notes

- often used intransitively, but can take a reflexive pronoun like 'himself' or 'herself'.
- Teaching tip: popularized in modern pop culture (e.g., 'How I Met Your Mother') as a call to dress formally; contrast with 'get dressed' which is more general.

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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.