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Glite Dictionary
💵 To pay or settle 📏 To make even
to square up

to square up

1 4.1
Make the edges and corners even and straight
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : nivelar
  • Before painting, make sure to square up the corners of the canvas for a neat finish.

Examples

  • To prepare the wood for the project, he squared up the pieces using a saw and a square tool.

  • I need to square up the sides of these.

  • I'll remove these nails that I put in to square up the stretcher.

  • So with the stretcher squared up, the old support removed, I can now install mine and get it into place.

  • A few hours later, I removed the clamps and squared up the corners of the stopped rabbits.

  • I'm now going to use my new benchtop joiner to flatten and square up two faces.

  • He squared up the edges of the picture frame to ensure it would fit perfectly on the wall.

Synonyms

to square
vsto square up
28 3.4

Make something straight or at a right angle

focuses on general straightness and even edges rather than strict right angles
to even
vsto square up
22 2.5

To make something level or smooth

focuses also on forming clear right corners and exact edge shape
to even up
vsto square up
3 5.3

To make the edges of a pile of papers level and straight

applies more widely to straightness and corner shaping not only pile edges
to true up
vsto square up
  • Specialized
8.4

To make something exactly straight and level, for example a wheel rim

is less technical and stresses general straightness rather than exact concentricity
to jog
vsto square up
  • Specialized
7.1

To make the edges of paper even by tapping the stack

is broader and used for general straightening and corner shaping not only paper stacks

Antonyms

crooked
58 2.5

Not straight in shape, like a path or a smile

uneven
42 2.3

Not smooth or level, with parts higher and lower

How Square

square
3.2
to square up
1 4.1
to align
89 3.5
to adjust
317 2.7
to skew
9 4.8

Surface Forms

square up infinitive
squared up past
squared up past participle
squaring up present participle
squares up third person singular

Morphology

square + up

There is a clear morphological link: 'square' can mean to make even or settle (as in 'square accounts') and the particle 'up' adds a sense of completion, so the idea of 'making things even' maps onto 'settling a debt or dispute.' However, the specific pragmatic meaning 'settle a debt/dispute' is a conventionalized extension that a B1 learner who only knows the literal senses may not automatically infer without some exposure; cross-linguistic equivalents (e.g. 'ajustar cuentas') make this partially recognizable but not fully predictable.

Etymology

Square up comes from the idea of making something into a neat square. Picture someone pushing a stack of paper so the edges line up and the corners are straight — you are squaring it up. That's why it means 'to make something even or straight'.