tap up

verb

To make a specific approach to a person considered to be suitable for a professional position.

“In earlier years, the intelligence services would often recruit agents by tapping them up.”

Similar
tamper
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbtap up (third-person singular simple present taps up, present participle tapping up, simple past and past participle tapped up)

present singular third person taps up · participle present tapping up · participle past tapped up · past tapped up

  1. UKtransitiveTo make a specific approach to a person considered to be suitable for a professional position.

    In earlier years, the intelligence services would often recruit agents by tapping them up.

  2. UKtransitivehobbiesTo make an approach to a player, under contract to another club, in order to attempt to negotiate a transfer.

    Synonyms: tamper

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo make an approach to a player, under contract to another club, in order to attempt to negotiate a transfer.

Similar
tamper
Also see
tamper
Cite this entry
APA

tap up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tap%20up

MLA

“tap up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tap%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tap up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tap%20up.

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