bottle up

bottle something up 

1. Lit. to put some sort of liquid into bottles. She bottled her homemade chili sauce up and put the bottles in a box. She bottled up a lot of the stuff.

2. Fig. to constrict something as if it were put in a bottle. The patrol boats bottled the other boats up at the locks on the river. The police bottled up the traffic while they searched the cars for the thieves.

3. and bottle something up (inside (someone)) Fig. to hold one's feelings within; to keep from saying something that one feels strongly about. Let's talk about it, John. You shouldn't bottle it up. Don't bottle up your problems. It's better to talk them out. Don't bottle it up inside you. Don't bottle up all your feelings.

See also: bottle, up

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bottle up something also bottle something up

1. to not express something She bottled up her emotions throughout the tournament. The more you bottle that anger up, the more likely it is that it will explode.

2. to keep something from making progress The French navy had bottled up the British navy. Lawmakers in key positions can bottle things up for months.

See also: bottle, up