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to wall

to wall

41 6.4
To surround an area with a wall to protect it
  • verb
  • /wɔl/
translation icon : amurallar
  • Max, I'm walling off detonation signals.
  • a walled enclosure
  • a walled city
  • a walled garden

Now theoretically, yes, within a free society, individuals can wall themselves off from the social world.

Examples

  • The city officials decided to walls off the entire market area for security reasons after the threat alert.

  • Why did they wall it up again?

  • Why'd you wall them off?

  • Walled himself up into retirement.

  • The miners found shelter in the mountains by walling off natural overhangs and building freestanding stone cabins.

    Academic text (2007)
  • To protect the crops from animals, the farmer plans to walls off the fields with a sturdy fence.

  • In an effort to enhance privacy, they decided to walls off their backyard with a tall wooden fence.

Synonyms

to enclose
vsto wall
84 3.7

Surround something completely, often with a wall or fence

focuses on strengthening an area by building a solid defensive barrier
to fence
vsto wall
19 2.4

To put a barrier around land to mark or protect it

focuses on building a strong defensive barrier rather than a light one
to wall in
vsto wall
7 5.8

To build a barrier around something to keep people in or keep others out

focuses on strengthening and defending an area
to build a fence
vsto wall
7 1.8

To make a barrier of wood, metal, or wire around land to keep animals and people out

uses heavier, more permanent materials to fortify rather than posts or wire
to fence off
vsto wall
4 3.7

Surround an area with a fence to stop people from entering

is done to protect and fortify the area rather than merely block access
to wall up
vsto wall
3 6.1

Close an opening by building a wall across it

emphasizes using the barrier to fortify and protect an area
to fence in
vsto wall
3 3.0

To surround an area with a barrier to keep others out

aims specifically to defend an area from attack rather than only restrict access
to rail
vsto wall
1 5.7

To enclose an area by putting up rails

is meant to create a strong protective barrier rather than low marking bars
to hedge
vsto wall
1 3.7

To surround an area with bushes to make a living fence

uses permanent built barriers to fortify rather than living plants
to stockade
vsto wall
8.2

To surround a place with strong wooden posts to protect it

uses solid stone or built barriers rather than posts
to palisade
vsto wall
9.1

To surround an area with a strong fence of wooden or metal posts for protection

prefers solid built barriers like stone rather than stakes
to circumvallate
vsto wall
  • Archaic
9.9

To surround a place with walls or dirt banks to stop people leaving

applies to ordinary fortifying, not only formal military works
to hedge in
vsto wall
5.8

Surround a place or person so they cannot move freely

aims to defend with solid barriers rather than closely restrict by plants

Idioms

14 5.5

A clear sign that something bad will happen

A person who watches a situation without being noticed

balls to the wall
  • Offensive
2 9.4

Do something with as much speed and effort as possible, without holding back

back to the wall
  • Informal
2 7.6

In a situation with very few choices where you must try hard to survive or win

2 8.1

To speak to someone who does not respond or listen

1 7.0

To try to speak to someone who will not listen or answer

To try many times to do something without success and feel frustrated

6.6

To stand up for someone when they are in trouble

To spend money carelessly and waste it

To decide to start something difficult and not change your mind

Try many different ideas to see which one works

To try many different ideas to find one that works

Try many different ideas to find one that works

Phrasal Verbs

To reach a point where you cannot continue because you are very tired or stuck

7 5.8

To build a barrier around something to keep people in or keep others out

3 6.1

Close an opening by building a wall across it

To speak directly to the audience during a play or film to show the story is not real

To become very annoyed or frustrated by something small and repeated

Compounds

Wall Street
  • Literature
546 2.7

The US financial industry, especially banks and investment firms in New York

78 3.4

A street in lower Manhattan where the New York Stock Exchange is

brick wall
  • Informal
24 4.1

A problem you cannot get past

20 2.7

A low fence made by stacking rough stones to mark boundaries or keep animals out

16 3.5

A very long ancient wall across northern China built to stop invaders

14 4.2

Completely full of people or things with no space to move

A very long old wall in northern China built to stop attacks

off-the-wall
  • Informal
7 8.0

Strange and often funny in a surprising way

5 3.6

A high wall around a prison that keeps people inside

cell wall
  • Specialized
5 3.6

A hard layer around the cells of plants, fungi, and some bacteria that gives support and protection

retaining wall
  • Specialized
5 4.4

A wall built to hold back soil or water on one side

A small hidden restaurant or cafe that looks simple but serves very good food

4 6.7

A remaining wall of the ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem where people pray

4 1.0

A clock that hangs on a wall to show the time

A floor covering that reaches all walls and covers the whole room

wall of silence
  • Literature
3 7.2

A group's choice to stay silent to protect members from blame

3 2.9

A place in a wall where you plug in an electrical device to get power

A picture made directly on a wall as decoration

bearing wall
  • Specialized
2 5.1

A wall that holds up the floor or roof above it

abdominal wall
  • Specialized
2 4.1

The muscles and tissue at the front and sides of the belly that protect internal organs

2 9.5

An unwritten rule among police officers not to report a colleague's illegal actions to protect them from punishment

Wailing Wall
  • Archaic
2 6.7

A holy stone wall in Jerusalem where Jewish people pray and put written prayers

2 3.2

A decorative piece like a tapestry placed on a wall

2 2.7

A flat rectangular piece fixed to a wall to cover or decorate it

Great Wall
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A huge group of galaxies that looks like a long wall in space

blue wall
  • Jargon
1 9.0

A secret rule among police not to report a colleague's wrongdoing

load-bearing wall
  • Specialized
1 3.6

A wall that supports the floors and roof above it

1 7.5

A line of soldiers holding shields close together to form a strong defence

blue wall
  • Literature
1 5.6

A group of states or voters that often support the same political party

Chinese Wall
  • Jargon
1 8.9

A rule to keep people in different teams from sharing secret information to avoid conflicts of interest

A long stone wall built by the Romans in northern England to mark their northern border

1 3.2

A large picture painted or printed directly on a wall to decorate it

1 2.4

An electrical socket in a wall where you connect a device to get power

1 2.8

A large piece of furniture put against a wall to store or show things

1 3.4

A very long stone wall built across northern China to keep out attackers

A wall made of stones fitted together without mortar

cavity wall
  • Specialized
4.6

A wall with two layers and a space between them to keep heat in and water out

dry wall
  • Specialized
5.6

A low stone wall made by fitting stones together without cement

A fern that grows on rocks or walls in shady places in North America and East Asia

A Roman wall across central Scotland that marks the northern border of Roman Britain

The triangular top part of a wall under a sloping roof

hanging wall
  • Specialized
9.5

The block of rock above a sloping break in the ground

proscenium wall
  • Specialized
9.4

A part of a theatre that separates the stage from the audience and holds the stage opening

ring wall
  • Specialized
6.9

A circular strong wall built under a heavy structure to support its weight

ring wall
  • Specialized
7.5

A circular wall around a village or town that protects people from attack

4.6

A low circular wall that keeps soil in place around plants

party wall
  • Specialized
4.6

A wall between two houses that both owners share

A small plant with narrow leaves and tiny pink flowers that grows in cracks in walls

A plant that lives for two years or less and has groups of bright orange-yellow flowers at stem ends

9.9

A small red and grey bird that lives on walls and cliffs

wall fern
  • Specialized
7.6

A low fern that grows on rocks or walls in shaded moist places

wall germander
  • Specialized
9.9

A low bush with bright pink or purple flowers grown in gardens

9.9

A small wild grass that grows like a weed along roads and walls, with bristly seed heads

A strong piece fixed to a wall that sticks out and holds a shelf

wall panel
  • Specialized
3.4

An electronic device fixed to a wall that controls lights, heating, or security

wall pellitory
  • Specialized
9.9

A small plant with long leaves and tiny pink flowers that grows in cracks on old walls and rocks

9.9

A small plant that grows along the ground or walls with thick leaves and bright yellow flowers

A long horizontal piece of wood on top of a wall supporting beams

9.9

A small fern with delicate leaves that grows on old walls and rocks

9.9

A plant with yellow flowers that grows on old walls and in empty places

8.2

Solid ground next to a line of minerals or a crack underground

A small delicate fern that grows on walls and cliffs

4.5

A large camping shelter with four straight cloth walls that gives more room inside than a normal tent

A person who puts wallpaper on walls to decorate rooms

How Enclosed

to fortify
39 6.2
to wall
41 6.4
to enclose
84 3.7
to fence in
3 3.0

Surface Forms

wall infinitive
walled past
walled past participle
walling present participle
walls third person singular

Etymology

Wall as a verb comes from the same old English weall and Latin vallum, meaning to make a 'rampart' or enclosure. So to wall a town or place is to build a wall around it to protect or close it off.