square up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal
Quick answer
What does “square up” mean?
To settle a debt or financial obligation.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To settle a debt or financial obligation.
To confront someone in preparation for a fight or argument; to arrange something neatly in a squared position.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both financial and confrontational senses are used in both varieties. The 'arrange neatly' sense may be slightly more common in British English (e.g., 'square up the chairs').
Connotations
In confrontational contexts, it implies a readiness to fight, often physical but can be metaphorical. Financially, it's neutral but implies finality.
Frequency
Overall frequency is moderate. The financial sense is likely more frequent in everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “square up” in a Sentence
[someone] squares up [with someone] [for something][someone] squares up [to someone][someone] squares [something] upVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “square up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Let's square up before we leave the pub.
- He squared up to the bully in the playground.
- Could you square up those books on the shelf?
American English
- We'll square up after the trip.
- The team squared up to their rivals before the game.
- Square up the papers on your desk.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used to mean finalising payments or settling invoices ('We need to square up before the end of the quarter').
Academic
Rare; might appear in sociological texts discussing conflict ('The protestors squared up to the police line').
Everyday
Common for friends splitting a restaurant bill or describing a brewing confrontation.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “square up”
- Incorrect: *'I squared up my friend for the movie.' (Correct: 'I squared up WITH my friend...')
- Incorrect: Using it to mean 'make something fair' (that's 'square things up').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in the 'arrange neatly' sense ('Square the books up'). In financial and confrontational senses, it is generally phrasal ('square up with someone', 'square up to someone').
They are largely synonymous for debts, but 'square up' is more informal. Only 'square up' has the confrontational meaning.
Yes, metaphorically. You can 'square up' to a challenge, a problem, or an opponent, meaning to prepare to face it directly.
Use 'square up TO' for confrontation ('square up to a threat'). Use 'square up WITH' for financial settlement ('square up with a friend').
To settle a debt or financial obligation.
Square up is usually informal in register.
Square up: in British English it is pronounced /skweə(r) ʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /skwer ʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Square up to the problem.”
- “Time to square up.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a person SQUARING their shoulders (standing straight) to face someone, and also drawing a SQUARE around a bill to show it's paid. Both actions mean 'square up'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SETTLEMENT IS BALANCE (financial); CONFLICT IS PHYSICAL ALIGNMENT (confrontational).
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence 'The boxer squared up to his opponent,' what does 'squared up' mean?