tied up with work

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "tied up with work" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express that someone is busy or occupied with their job or tasks. Example: "I can't meet you for lunch today because I'm tied up with work."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

I was tied up with work and got a late start, finding myself pouring cooled broth into Tupperware containers long into the wee hours.

The New York Times - Magazine

If your sense of self worth is tied up with work, realising that the people who profited from your blackened lungs see you as disposable creates a deep feeling of betrayal.

The Guardian - Opinion

"I believe we have children the same age," she smiled at James (who disappointingly failed to reply: "Yeah, I'm a bit tied up with work at this precise moment – speak to my nanny about playdates").

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Gratefully, I can rely on my husband (committed to gender-equitable parenting), another family member, or a caretaker to help with the baby when I'm tied up with work obligations.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

You can use an external resource to do the job for you, so you can stay on top of your business and not have your staff tied up with working through the sometimes confusing task of redesigning the website.

Huffington Post

The supervisor/PhD student relationship can be one of lifelong intellectual friendship, or one of problems that you learn to manage – but mutual sensitivity about working patterns and the emotions tied up with intellectual work is the best basis for good supervisor-student relationships.

The Guardian

The atmosphere was so welcoming, and it had this feeling of being tied up with the work.

The New York Times - Magazine

"I think I like them because there's no cult of personality tied up with these works," Couper comments.

Huffington Post

It's a service that many of Stitch Labs' users would not necessarily think to ask for, Levey said, because they are so tied up with the daily work of running their business.

TechCrunch

But when she learned that Trump was tied up with official (Santa-related) work, the fake first lady burst into song.

Huffington Post

And it wasn't like I came to the conclusion that there wasn't a link between the three, but rather that survival sex work is often tied up with a whole bunch of other issues like poverty, addictions and unsafe working conditions that aren't intrinsically related to sex work itself.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "tied up with work" when you want to politely explain why you're unavailable, especially in professional contexts. It's a clear and concise way to indicate you're currently busy.

Common error

While generally acceptable, avoid using "tied up with work" in extremely formal or academic writing. Opt for more direct and professional alternatives like "occupied with responsibilities" or "engaged in professional duties" to maintain a higher level of formality.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "tied up with work" functions as an idiomatic expression, indicating that someone is busy or occupied with their job or work-related tasks. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and appropriate for describing a state of being busy. Examples from Ludwig AI show its use in explaining unavailability.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "tied up with work" is a grammatically sound and understandable way to express that someone is currently busy or occupied with their work. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is appropriate for common usage and has a neutral tone. It's more frequently found in news and media contexts and less so in formal academic writing. While effective, remember that alternatives such as "busy with work" or "occupied with work" may be more suitable for certain formal settings. Overall, "tied up with work" serves as a useful idiom for conveying unavailability due to work commitments.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

busy with work

Replaces the idiomatic "tied up" with the more straightforward "busy", maintaining the core meaning of being occupied.

occupied with work

Substitutes "tied up" with "occupied", offering a slightly more formal alternative with the same underlying meaning.

engrossed in work

Indicates a deep level of involvement and focus on work, suggesting more than just being merely busy.

involved in work

Highlights participation and engagement in work activities, rather than just being generally busy.

preoccupied with work

Suggests that work is dominating one's thoughts and attention, potentially to the exclusion of other things.

swamped with work

Emphasizes being overwhelmed by a large amount of work, implying a state of being excessively busy.

up to my ears in work

Uses a more figurative and informal expression to convey being extremely busy with work.

buried in work

Similar to "swamped", this conveys a sense of being submerged and heavily burdened by work.

consumed by work

Implies that work is taking up a significant portion of one's time and energy, potentially impacting other areas of life.

drowning in work

A more dramatic way of saying someone has far too much work to handle, resulting in possible stress.

FAQs

What does "tied up with work" mean?

The phrase "tied up with work" means being busy or occupied with work-related tasks, making someone unavailable for other activities.

What can I say instead of "tied up with work"?

You can use alternatives like "busy with work", "occupied with work", or "engrossed in work" depending on the context.

Is "tied up with work" formal or informal?

"Tied up with work" is generally considered a neutral phrase suitable for most professional and casual situations. For extremely formal contexts, consider using more direct and professional language.

How do I use "tied up with work" in a sentence?

You can use "tied up with work" in a sentence like: "I can't attend the meeting today because I'm "tied up with work"."