lawyer up
verb
lawyered up; lawyering up; lawyers up
chiefly US, informal
: to obtain the services of a lawyer especially while being investigated for possible wrongdoing
When Turner Darlington heard about the arrest, he called Finkelman and said, "Time to lawyer up." He gave the name of an African-American woman in Orlando, Tulip Watkins, "who my people tell me is the best criminal lawyer in the state."—
Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck
Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck
lawyered up
adjective
They should tell him the only course of action is to show up and tell the truth, come what may. But now he's all lawyered up, so that's not going to happen. He's all but untouchable now.
—Christine Brennan
Christine Brennan
Examples of lawyer up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Repair or lawyer up Be aware of the deadlines for accepting a payment offer or filing an appeal with the insurance company.
—Mae Anderson, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024
This time, the plotters chose to lawyer up and turn the trial into a referendum on America’s treatment of unlawful enemy combatants obviously guilty of mass murder.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Aug. 2024
At that time, many Twitter users challenged the ethics of his tactics and advised him to lawyer up.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 19 Apr. 2024
On Twitter, Trump supporters told Starbird to lawyer up.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mae Anderson, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024
This time, the plotters chose to lawyer up and turn the trial into a referendum on America’s treatment of unlawful enemy combatants obviously guilty of mass murder.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Aug. 2024
At that time, many Twitter users challenged the ethics of his tactics and advised him to lawyer up.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 19 Apr. 2024
On Twitter, Trump supporters told Starbird to lawyer up.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near lawyer up
Cite this Entry
“Lawyer up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lawyer%20up. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share