brought up short

A form of bring up short — To arrest (someone or something's) forward motion; to halt before a goal is reached.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of bring up short
Cite this entry
APA

brought up short. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brought%20up%20short

MLA

“brought up short.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brought%20up%20short. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brought up short,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brought%20up%20short.

Source: brought up short on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.