to ease up
59
3.7
- phrasal verb
- /iːz ʌp/
- The coach told the players to ease up during practice to avoid injuries.
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Watch on YouTubeSo he said all right, all right, all right, ease up, I'll do it.
- So he said all right, all right, all right, ease up, I'll do it.
- The deadline will pass, the bills will get paid, the work will ease up.
- What you know, We need to ease up and realise that we need more of this in our lives.
- The question is, will the government ease up if the problem of default starts to get out of control?
- And then as you move away from a crisis moment, you see some easing up and that there's always a sort of an oscillation over the over the decades.
- When restrictions eased up she started performing hardcore content and with her new found money was able to afford a lavish, by my standards at least, style of living.
Examples
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After a stressful week, she decided to ease up on her strict workout schedule.
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All right, Mr Percival, ease up on the reins.
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Look, ease up on the love talk...
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But it would be a good thing if we could ease up a little.
Blog text (2) -
And sure enough, there are those here today who say ease up, spend more, borrow more.
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The question is, will the government ease up if the problem of default starts to get out of control?
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Hey, Johnnie, ease up, okay?
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Ease up on her, Netah.
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Wayne, I'm gonna have to arrest you if you don't ease up.
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And my grades are going up, so can't we ease up on the twenty-four/seven study thing?
Fiction book (1999)
Synonyms
989
1.4
To become less angry, excited, or upset
893
1.4
To move or act more slowly
309
2.1
To make something less painful or difficult
185
1.0
Make something less tight so it can move or open
166
2.5
To become quiet and calm after being excited
105
2.7
To become calmer, less angry, or less hot
98
3.1
Make something less strong or harsh
86
3.4
To relax and become less nervous or tense
81
1.0
To make or become less tight
72
2.8
To make something smaller in amount or strength
59
3.7
To relax after a busy or stressful time and slowly come to an end
58
2.5
Feel less angry or excited
56
3.7
To make something less strong, for example a sound, color or feeling
55
6.2
To calm down and stop being angry or excited
55
3.8
To become less strong, especially for bad weather, pain, or pressure
44
2.7
To become less strong or loud over time
43
3.4
Become relaxed and less tense after work or a stressful time
22
6.8
To become less strong or severe and to make something do the same
22
6.3
Become more relaxed and easygoing
19
4.0
To become gradually less strong or severe
18
2.7
Move or make something move less quickly
17
4.1
Make something, like a taste, sound, or plan, less strong
14
4.1
To become calm after strong feelings or to tell someone else to calm down
13
4.1
To make a feeling, sound, or action less strong
12
4.2
Relax and become less tense after work or stress
11
5.7
Reduce the strength of feelings or public anger
10
7.4
To act in a less loud or angry way
8
5.6
To make a conflict or tense situation less dangerous and calmer
4
7.2
To make something less in small steps that are hard to bring back
3
3.8
To make something less rough by pressing it flat or by calming people
3
3.6
Begin to fall after rising or staying steady
2
7.3
To become less strong or less tight
2
5.5
Become or make less tight, like a rope
1
5.7
Move, act, or work less quickly and with less energy
1
7.6
Make a tense person or situation feel more relaxed
1
3.9
To become less strong or active
1
8.8
To move or stretch your muscles so they are ready to work
To make muscles or nerves feel less tight after stress
To make someone feel calmer or less angry
Let go of something you are holding, physically or emotionally
Antonyms
How Reduced
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to reduce pressure or become less strict' follows directly from combining 'ease' (to reduce severity) with the particle 'up' that here marks a change toward a less intense state; this verb+particle pattern is a regular, compositional phrasal-verb formation. A B1 learner who knows both constituents and basic particle uses would very likely infer the MWE's meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Ease up may come from the simple image of loosening a tight rope or letting air out of a tire: to ease something up is to let a little pressure go so it becomes gentler. That's why it means 'to reduce pressure or force' or 'to become less strict'.