close up

verb

Etymology: Dissimilated from Middle English upclosen (“to close up, stop up, seal”).

1. To close (remove a gap) completely or fully.

   “Some flowers close up at night to stay protected from the cold.”

2. To move nearer together so that a gap is removed.

   “The crowd closed up and I couldn't get through to the train.”

3. To enclose, confine.

   “In Sanʿa the Jews have been separated from the Mohammedan population for the last three hundred years, and closed up in a Ghetto apart from the main town.”

4. To shut a building or a business for a period of time.

   “We finally managed to close up the shop for the night at about 10 o'clock.”

   “The car factory has closed up for the August holidays.”

5. Of a cut or other wound: To heal.

   “With stitches, the cut should close up in a week to ten days.”

6. To become less 'open' or communicative; to shrink back.

   “to close up emotionally”

7. To stop talking.