hem up
Take up fabric
To hem up is to trap, corner, or confront someone, preventing escape or evasion.
The phrase comes from African American Vernacular English and carries a sense of being surrounded or caught: The cops hemmed him up in the alley, She hemmed me up about the money I owed her.
It implies both physical constraint and conversational pressure—you can be hemmed up by police or by someone demanding answers.
trap
Device for catching animals
box in · fence in · close in · block · pen in · corral · enclose · contain · confine · restrain
shorten
Reduce in extent
- alterationAct of modifying
- stitchThread loop in fabric
- tuckFold into concealment
fold · pin · tailor · needle · thread · seam · cuff · trouser · skirt · dress
confrontational pressure
hem uplet slide
Choose not to address
leave alone · back off · let off the hook · ignore · avoid