pull up the drawbridge
Shut everyone out
To pull up the drawbridge is to shut others out and stop engaging with the outside world.
The image comes from medieval castles, where raising the drawbridge meant refusing entry and preparing to withstand siege.
Someone who pulls up the drawbridge retreats into isolation, cutting off communication or access: After the scandal broke, the company pulled up the drawbridge and stopped answering press inquiries.
- isolateSeparate from others
- circle the wagonsAdopt collective defense
- excludeBar from participation
- barricadeObstacle blocking a path
- alienateCause emotional distance
fortify · batten down the hatches · marginalize · ostracize · shield · withdraw · battlement · portcullis · protect · segregate · close ranks · cordon · detach · retreat · defend · safeguard · blockade · bunker mentality
pull up the drawbridgeopen the door
Allow passage through
roll out the red carpet · open the floodgates · leave the door open · open for business · let in
pull up the drawbridgereach out
Initiate communication with someone
engage · open up · come out of one's shell · build bridges · network
pull up the drawbridgeopen borders
Unregulated international passage
pulled, pulling, puller, drawing, drawer, drawers, bridge, bridges, bridged