Collocation

I'm tied up until 3.

verb + past participle + adverb B2 verb + past participle + adverb

To be very busy or occupied, making one unavailable for other activities or appointments.

Definition

'I'm tied up until 3.' is a common English collocation. To be very busy or occupied, making one unavailable for other activities or appointments.

be + tied up + (until [time/event] / with [activity])

“I'm tied up until 3, so I can't meet then.”

I'm tied up all morning with meetings, so I won't be able to join the coffee break.
He was tied up on a very important client call for over an hour and couldn't answer his other line.
She'll be tied up with clients for most of the afternoon, so please leave a message.

Show more examples

We were tied up preparing for the big presentation, so we completely missed lunch.
They knew he'd be tied up with his project deadline, so they decided not to disturb him.
Are you tied up this evening, or do you have some free time?
The manager is usually tied up with administrative tasks on Fridays, making it hard to schedule meetings.
Despite his best efforts, he found himself tied up in endless bureaucratic procedures for months.
I can't make it to the party tonight; I'm tied up with some unexpected family commitments.
Don't bother her, she's tied up at the moment finishing a critical report.