The Phrasal Verb 'Wrap Up' Explained
- Phrasal Verbs Explained
- Dec 22, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 6
An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'wrap up' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context
Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native.
'Wrap up' is a phrasal verb that you will often hear a lot around Christmastime in English speaking countries, especially in the US and the UK where it tends to be very cold at that time of year. Aside from it's more "wintry" meanings, 'wrap up' does also have several other meanings that can be heard all year round and in this post we will look at all of these different meanings, both wintry and non-wintry. So, without further ado, let's get started....
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one)
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THE BASICS
WRAP UP: KEY INFORMATION
Usage | Common |
Number of meanings | 5 |
Past tense forms | Wrapped up / Wrapped up |
Separable? | Yes |
Before we look at the meanings of 'wrap up', let's just take a minute to examine the constituent words 'wrap' and 'up', as this can often help us to understand some of the more idiomatic meanings of a phrasal verb.
The verb 'to wrap' is a semi-common verb in the English language, which means to cover something with paper or some other kind of soft material, such as cloth. More often than not, the action of 'wrapping' is done by a folding or winding action. Make sure that you do not confuse it with the similar sounding verb 'to rap', which has very different meaning.
Aside from its literal meaning of 'towards the sky' ⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️, the prepositional particle 'up' is commonly found in phrasal verb constructions and can often be used to add an idea of completion or readiness, among many other things.
So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different phrasal verb meanings of 'wrap up'....
MEANING 1: To cover something in paper or material
CEFR Language Level | B1 - Intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To wrap, to enclose, to envelop |
Separable? | Yes |
The first meaning of 'wrap up' is to cover or to enclose something in soft material, typically paper or cloth, much like the meaning of the verb 'to wrap'. This application of 'wrap up' is most commonly used for presents and gifts, which is why you are likely to hear this more at Christmastime when it is customary in many anglophone countries for people to exchange gifts.
We can use the verb 'to wrap' as a synonym here, but often the phrasal verb 'wrap up' conveys the idea of completion or readiness, i.e. when a gift has been wrapped up, it is ready to be presented to the lucky recipient.
Grammatically, this application of 'wrap up' is separable and the direct object can go either between 'wrap' and 'up' or after them, without changing the meaning.
I have bought my husband's Christmas present but I haven't wrapped it up yet.
Helen spent all evening wrapping up birthday presents for her son.
You have wrapped this up so nicely, I don't want to unwrap it and undo all of your hard work!
MEANING 2: To put on warm clothes
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To put on warm clothes |
Separable? | Not normally |
The second usage of 'wrap up' is another one that you are likely to hear during the wintertime in many English-speaking countries as it means 'to put on warm clothes'.
I guess this is similar to the previous meaning that we have just looked at, however this time the thing that we are covering with material is ourselves, rather than a present. Often, this application of 'wrap up' is used as an imperative or when someone gives a warning that the weather is cold and therefore they should be put on thick, warm clothes in preparation for it. As you can imagine, this is often something said by attentive mothers and grandmothers!
You may often hear this this used with the additional adjective 'warm' as this is a common collocation for this application of 'wrap up'.
It's freezing cold out there. Make sure you wrap up warm if you are going to go out!
Lisa had seen that it was snowing outside, so she wrapped up in thick wooly clothes before going out to the shop.
MEANING 3: To complete or conclude something
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To finish, to conclude, to end |
Yes |
The third meaning of 'wrap up' is slightly informal and means 'to complete, conclude or finish something, normally in a way that is considered satisfactory'.
We tend to use 'wrap up' in this way when we are talking about processes or tasks that tend to revolve more around speaking than physical action. Two of the most common places in which you would hear this application of 'wrap up' are in business meetings and negotiations and also on film and TV sets. When used in business meetings or negotiations, 'wrap up' is used to talk about bringing the things to an end but still ensuring that all of the topics are covered and discussed. On TV and movie sets, 'wrap up' is used to talk about finishing the filming process of a particular scene or of the entire production in general.
Ok, we have 30 minutes left of our allotted meeting time, so let's try and wrap things up now.
Can we wrap it up now please. This has been going on for far too long.
Production of the movie wrapped up in August this year and it is expected to be ready for audiences by Christmas.
BONUS: The expression 'It's a wrap'
As I have just mentioned, 'wrap up' is commonly used in film and movie production to talk about when the filming of a scene or an entire production is concluded. As a result of this, the expression "it's a wrap" has come to be used in this industry when a scene or an entire movie or show is finished. It is normally said as a way for the director to let all of the crew members and actors know that the filming of that particular scene etc. has finished.
MEANING 4: To provide a summary of the main points
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere but mainly US English |
Potential synonyms | To summarise, to recapitulate |
Separable? | Yes |
The next meaning of 'wrap up' is 'to summarise* or to recapitulate something', or in other words to give the main points or details about a given subject.
As a British English speaker, this usage seems more American to me, however I would certainly understand the meaning if I heard it in a conversation.
To wrap things up, I would say that the main points to note from today's meeting are....
Thanks very much, John, for wrapping that up so well.
*Summarise is spelt summarize in US American English
MEANING 5: To be absorbed in something
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To be absorbed in something |
Separable? | No |
For our fifth and final meaning of 'wrap up', we are looking at the way that the past tense form 'wrapped up' can be used as an adjective to mean when a person is absorbed in something.
If someone is 'wrapped up' in something, then they are absorbed or captivated by it and their attention is focussed solely on that one thing, so that they do not notice other things that are happening around them. This could be used for when someone's attention is captivated in the short term by some form of entertainment, or it could be used to talk about something more long term, for example when someone is so focussed on the things happening in their own life that they do not notice someone else's problems etc.
Jim was so wrapped up in what was happening outside on the street that he failed to notice that all of his colleagues had left the office.
I'm so sorry, Julie. I've been so wrapped up in my own problems over the last few weeks that I haven't even asked you how you have been doing!
BONUS: The idiom 'to wrap someone up in cotton wool'
Before I finish this post, I want to make you aware of the idiom "to wrap someone up in cotton wool". This idiom means to protect someone from the dangers and difficulties in life and normally refers to parents in relation to their children. Furthermore, you can also say that a person has been "wrapped up in cotton wool", when referring to a child who has been overprotected and sheltered for their whole lives.
John and Helen are such overprotective parents, they've wrapped their daughter Alice up in cotton wool her whole life. She will have a shock when she goes to university!
We have now reached the end of this post and I just want to say thank you for clicking on my post and reading it. I hope that you've enjoyed it and have been able to learn something new about the phrasal verb 'wrap up'. If you enjoyed this post, please go ahead and check out some of my other posts.
Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'wrap up'. Write it in the comments section below if you can, or alternatively any comments, suggestions or feedback that you may have....don't be shy!!!
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THE END