square up - Definition & Meaning

square up

Third Person

squares up

Present Participle

squaring up

Past Tense

squared up

Past Participle

squared up

to reach an agreement or manage a dispute, often by coming to terms or resolving differences

After a heated argument, the friends decided it was time to square up and mend their relationship.
The nations involved in the conflict were urged to square up and negotiate a peaceful resolution.
The siblings had a disagreement over the family inheritance but eventually managed to square up and divide the assets fairly.
In order to avoid a prolonged legal battle, the two parties involved in the dispute decided to square up and settle out of court.
The neighbors, tired of the ongoing dispute, finally agreed to square up and find a compromise for the sake of community harmony.

Synonyms:

to make something square or even in shape

The carpenter carefully measured and cut the wood to square up the frame of the new bookshelf.
Before starting the construction project, the builders needed to square the foundation up to ensure stability.
The artist used a ruler to help square up the edges of the canvas before beginning the painting.
The gardener decided to square the flower bed up to create a more organized and symmetrical layout.
The mason needed to square the tiles up to achieve a uniform pattern on the bathroom floor.

Synonyms:

to align the edges of a stack of paper, especially in the context of printing, to ensure uniformity

In the world of offset printing, precision is crucial, and the technician meticulously squares up the paper to avoid any misalignment during the printing process.
The printing press operator routinely checks and adjusts the machinery to ensure it squares up the paper accurately.
As the final touch to the poster design, the artist decided to square up the edges for a clean and professional look.
The print shop assistant carefully used a cutter to square up the edges of the freshly printed brochures.
The final step in the bookbinding process is to square up the edges of the pages for a polished appearance.

Synonyms:

to calm down, especially after a confrontation or tense situation