flag up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2neutral to formal; common in professional and institutional contexts
Quick answer
What does “flag up” mean?
to draw attention to something as important or needing consideration.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to draw attention to something as important or needing consideration
to identify, signal, or highlight an issue, problem, or point of interest for review or action
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More common and well-established in British English, but understood and used in American English, particularly in corporate/business contexts. In American English, 'flag' alone or 'raise a flag' is often used for a similar meaning.
Connotations
In British English, it is a standard, unmarked term for reporting issues. In American English, it can sometimes sound like a Britishism or corporate jargon.
Frequency
High frequency in UK professional discourse (business, healthcare, academia). Moderate and increasing in US professional discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “flag up” in a Sentence
[Someone] flags up [something] to [someone].[Something] is flagged up.to flag up that + clauseVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “flag up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Could you flag up any scheduling conflicts in the next team meeting?
- The audit flagged up serious compliance issues.
American English
- Please flag up any potential conflicts of interest to the legal team.
- The new algorithm flags up fraudulent transactions effectively.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Managers need to flag up any budget overruns to the finance department immediately.
Academic
The reviewer flagged up several methodological weaknesses in the study.
Everyday
I just wanted to flag up that we're running low on milk.
Technical
The monitoring software flags up any unauthorized access attempts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “flag up”
- Using it intransitively (e.g., 'The system flagged up.' – incorrect). It requires an object.
- Confusing 'flag up' (proactive) with 'flag down' (to signal to stop).
- Overusing in informal chat where 'mention' or 'point out' is more natural.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral to formal. It's perfectly at home in professional emails, reports, and meetings, but might sound slightly stiff in very casual conversation among friends.
Yes, it's a separable phrasal verb. You can say 'flag the issue up' or 'flag up the issue'. The pronoun must go in the middle: 'flag it up'.
'Flag up' often implies the issue is important, needs action, or might have been missed. 'Point out' is more general and neutral, simply meaning to direct attention to something.
Yes, very commonly. Active: 'The consultant flagged up a risk.' Passive: 'A risk was flagged up by the consultant.' The passive is frequent in reports.
to draw attention to something as important or needing consideration.
Flag up: in British English it is pronounced /flæɡ ʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /flæɡ ʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine raising a physical FLAG on a pole (UP) to make sure everyone sees an important message.
Conceptual Metaphor
ATTENTION IS A VISUAL SIGNAL (like a flag). IMPORTANT ISSUES ARE OBJECTS THAT ARE MARKED.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'flag up' LEAST appropriate?