wrap something up

USAGE SUMMARY

"wrap something up" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when you want to indicate the completion or conclusion of a task or discussion. For example, "Let's wrap this meeting up before lunch." Alternative expressions include "conclude" and "finish up."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Formal & Business

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"I've told the administration and I've told the world that the best way for [the United States Trade Representative] to be able to assure our negotiating partners that he has the authority to wrap something up is to have a real teamwork with the U.S. Congress," Levin said.

Huffington Post

"I volunteer in a local charity shop occasionally around the kids and around my work and if I'm trembling, if I have to wrap something up - because anything can set off your tremor - someone will say something like, 'Is it your first day here?' And I'll be like, 'No, I've got Parkinson's.'" When Sarah Hill's eight-year-old son complained of aching legs, her GP told her not to worry.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Then we put it into Steam Early Access and the community became such a huge part of our lives – it's really hard to wrap something like that up".

The Guardian - Tech

Strictly dominated BBC1 last night, a full 90 minutes before supper, then a brief respite that allowed us to switch over to The Ramones and Shakin' Stevens on TOTP2, before another hour and a quarter to wrap up something that could have unfolded in half that time.

Independent

Quotes can also act as transitioning tools or can wrap up something you were talking about.

WikiHow

Whether it was egging Nicole Kidman on or openly begging her producer to wrap the segment up, something was up with daytime's court jester.

Vice

But even the assertion that they, in fact, do wrap up is something of a spoiler.

The New Yorker

When you throw away peeled off blobs of nail polish, you may wish to seal them or wrap them up in something.

WikiHow

Maybe we need to put something together and wrap it up in a package and present it to them".

The New York Times

Something warm to wrap yourself up in post-shower.

HuffPost

He had something wrapped up in his hand.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Place the object between "wrap" and "up" (e.g., "wrap the project up") when you want to emphasize the specific thing being finished.

Common error

Avoid using this phrase figuratively when the context might lead the reader to think of literal gift wrapping or physical packaging. If there is any ambiguity, use a more precise term like "conclude" or "finish".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "wrap something up" functions as a transitive phrasal verb phrase that denotes the act of concluding or completing an activity. According to Ludwig, it is structurally versatile, allowing the object to appear either after the full phrase or between the verb and the particle.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Wiki

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Academia

8%

Science

4%

Encyclopedias

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

Ludwig AI indicates that "wrap something up" is a highly effective and widely used phrase for signaling the conclusion of various processes. It is supported by high-quality data from elite publications, demonstrating its utility in both professional and general writing. While it is informal enough for a chat, it maintains the necessary weight for journalism and business summaries. Writers should feel confident using it to indicate the completion of tasks, discussions or events, though they might opt for more formal verbs like "conclude" in strictly technical or scientific reports.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

conclude something

Provides a more formal tone suitable for academic or official settings.

finish something off

Implies completing the very last details of a task in a slightly more informal way.

bring something to a close

A more elegant and deliberate way to signal the end of an event.

finalize something

Suggests completing the formal or final stages of a project or agreement.

tie up something

Often used as part of the idiom "tie up loose ends", focusing on finishing unresolved details.

wind something down

Focuses on the gradual reduction of activity leading to a finish.

call it a day

An idiomatic expression specifically used when deciding to stop working for the day.

complete something

A neutral, direct synonym that lacks the idiomatic flavor.

put the lid on something

A more colloquial way to describe successfully finishing a task.

settle something

Used specifically when the conclusion involves resolving a dispute or negotiation.

FAQs

How to use "wrap something up" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe finishing a task, such as: "We need to wrap something up before we leave the office tonight."

What can I say instead of "wrap something up"?

Depending on the level of formality, you can use "conclude something", "finish something" or "finalize something".

Is "wrap something up" formal enough for an essay?

While it is correct, it is considered neutral to informal. In a formal academic essay, it is better to use "conclude the discussion" or "summarize".

What's the difference between "wrap something up" and "tie up loose ends"?

To wrap something up means to finish the entire task, whereas "tie up loose ends" specifically refers to completing the small, final details that remain after the main part is done.