Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tie in knots

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.58 in modern English

Syllables: tie in -knots
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To put (someone) in a difficult situation.

Transitive verb

verb

To make (someone) upset or anxious.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"That is where [Andrew] Cuomo’s unravelling began, with the revelation – admitted in part by his top aide, Melissa DeRosa, to state lawmakers – that the administration suppressed the number of nursing home deaths by several thousand in order to avoid a federal inquiry. DeRosa claimed the move was made to avoid Donald Trump tying them up in knots, but it sounded suspiciously like a cover-up."

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

ties in knots (present, singular) tying in knots (participle, present) tied in knots (participle, past) tied in knots (past) tie up in knots (alternative)

Phrases

in knots tied in knots tie oneself in knots

Frequently Paired Words

in knots tied in knots tie oneself in knots

Questions

What does tie in knots mean?: To put (someone) in a difficult situation.

How to pronounce tie in knots

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tie in knots”.
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