tie up loose ends
Complete unfinished business
To tie up loose ends is to complete remaining small tasks or resolve unfinished details before concluding something larger: I need to tie up a few loose ends at work before my vacation.
The image is of trimming or securing stray threads that would otherwise leave the work looking unfinished.
- square awayResolve and organize completely
- closeNearby or to shut
- close the loopComplete an unfinished process
- finishBring to completion
- finishing touchesLast refinements before completion
conclude · check · end · untangle · wrap up · resolution · clarify · reconcile · settle · complete · dot the i's · finalize · resolve · knot · rectify · summarize · seal · debrief
- Sewing Metaphorsseamless, threadbare, woven, patched up, hanging by a thread
- decisionschoice, make a decision, choices, yes, no
- getting organizedget organized, in order, put in place, straighten up, tidy up
completion and resolution
tie up loose endsdrop the ball
Fail at a critical moment
walk away · procrastinate · put on the back burner · kick the can down the road · shelve
organizational approach
tie up loose endsscatter to the winds
loose, ends, tied, ties, loosen, loosely, looseness, looser, loosest