to tie in knots
1
3.2
- phrasal verb
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- He quickly tied the rope in several knots to ensure the box wouldn't fall off the truck.
He split the chill into the razor blade and then tie it in knots and then met a nursator.
- He split the chill into the razor blade and then tie it in knots and then met a nursator.
Examples
-
Some wore complicated suits, white linen shirts, cravats tied in complex knots, and bows.
Fiction book (1993) -
And he takes the other end of the rope to the far side of the fence and ties it in a quick-release knot to the bottom rung.
Fiction book (1998) -
These men, these agents, were wearing rep ties tied in thick knots.
Fiction book (1998) -
With a look of satisfaction on her face, she slipped a piece of rag through the holes and tied the ends in a knot.
Fiction book (1993) -
LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL: Kidnap the Sandy Claws, tie him in a knot.
Fiction book (1993) -
He split the chill into the razor blade and then tie it in knots and then met a nursator.
-
"What fetid owlshit is this?" St. Ed asked, as he looked first at Brother S's battered face and then at Amy, who stood to the side in tight jeans and a white shirt tied in a Daisy Mae knot above her tanned navel.
Fiction book (1993) -
After finishing the bag, she tied the handles in knots to secure it.
-
To prevent the string from unraveling, tie it in tight knots at both ends.
Synonyms
923
1.0
To fasten things together by making a knot with string or rope
132
3.2
To tie something tightly with rope or string
74
2.2
Fasten something with rope so it cannot move
68
1.6
Hold something in place so it cannot move
35
1.9
To tie things together with a thin cord
23
4.4
To tie an animal or object so it cannot move away
14
4.7
To fasten something securely with rope or cord
11
1.0
To tie or secure something with a strong cord
8
5.5
To fasten a strap tightly so it does not slip
5
1.0
To tie rope or string so it holds
5
4.0
To fasten something with rope or straps to keep it from moving
4
7.0
To tie the legs and wings of a bird so it cooks evenly
4
9.1
To tie a rope to something to hold it for safety, for example when climbing or docking a boat
4
9.3
To tie the arms and legs of a person or animal so they cannot move
3
6.1
To bind things with a thin rope or string
1
4.4
To tie things together with rope to hold them in place
1
4.8
To bend the end of a nail to hold things together
To tie something tightly with rope so it does not move
Antonyms
How Secure
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to fasten by making knots' is directly and compositionally built from 'tie' (to secure) + 'in' (into/within) + 'knot(s)' (a fastening). This follows a common verb + prepositional phrase pattern (tie X in knots) and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Tie in knots comes from the simple action of using rope: you tie one or more knots to hold something tight. So it means 'to fasten or secure something'.