to line up for
26
2.1
- phrasal verb
:
hacer cola
- Its 9:00 a.m. and 71 degrees in beautiful Anaheim, and people are already lining up for the World Mascot Association Championships.
- people lined up for
- line up for tickets
- line up for the bus
And whatever they're lining up for, the wisdom of crowds means I want it.
- And whatever they're lining up for, the wisdom of crowds means I want it.
- When people hear that, most of us think about poor people lined up for food stamps and rent subsidies.
- Literally what is in Target that is worth lining up for?
Examples
-
People line up for hours to get food.
-
People line up for hours to get food.
-
Patients usually line up for their medications after lunch.
-
Seniors were lining up for the procession in a corridor to the right.
Fiction book (1997) -
Halloween is officially here, and thousands are lining up for the parade in New York City's East Village.
-
The harsh blast from the coach's whistle signaled everyone to line up for drills.
Fiction book (1998) -
Patients usually line up for their medications after lunch.
-
Halloween is officially here, and thousands are lining up for the parade in New York City's East Village.
Synonyms
76
1.7
To wait in a line of people for your turn
20
3.4
To form or join a line while waiting
3
3.1
To wait in a line to buy something or enter a place
Join the back of a line of people waiting
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to wait in a queue to receive or do something' is directly derivable from 'line' (a queue) combined with the particle 'up' indicating formation/arrangement and 'for' indicating the purpose or object of the waiting. This compositional pattern (form a line for X) is common in English and cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase line up for paints a simple picture: people stand in a single line, one behind another, and move up when it is their turn. So, to line up for something means 'to wait in a queue' to get or do it.