bolt upright

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Related to bolt upright: at least, fall through, touch base

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bolt upright

1. verb To suddenly sit or stand up from a reclining position. I bolted upright in bed when the phone rang in the middle of the night. I was taking a nap when the sound of the fire alarm made me bolt upright. You have to be very quiet, OK? My daughter's sleeping now, but she will bolt upright at the slightest noise.

2. adjective Very erect in posture. The teacher instructed us to be bolt upright on the stage during the assembly. Come on, I can't accurately measure your height if you don't stand bolt upright! A: "Ever since his back injury, it's hard for Grandpa to be bolt upright." B: "Oh, is that why he's hunched over most of the time?"

See also: bolt, upright

bolt upright

Precisely perpendicular, erect in carriage, as in She sat bolt upright in her pew. This expression was used in slightly different form by Chaucer in the late 1300s: "She was ... long as a mast and upright as a bolt" ( The Miller's Tale).

See also: bolt, upright

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bolt ˈupright

with your back very straight in an upright position: The noise woke her suddenly and she sat bolt upright in bed.

See also: bolt, upright

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

bolt upright

In a rigidly vertical position: sat bolt upright.

See also: bolt, upright

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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References in periodicals archive ?

It was sitting in the water bolt upright, and was obviously both scared and confused, not to mention cold.

Blind dog sparks sea rescue drama; Coastguard called out after onlookers try to save spaniel

Bursting into the lounge, our friend was sitting bolt upright on the sofa bed, amazed that I couldn't see the "sabre-toothed tiger licking his ears."

These days comics are so healthy

As he deteriorated a senior doctor prescribed him two antibiotics, but his sister Roxane Walczak-Doughty said when a nurse began injecting the first, amoxicillin, he sat bolt upright and began gasping like a goldfish and vomited.

DRUGS WERE NOT CAUSE OF FATAL ATTACK; Hospital injection not to blame for patient's death CHRONIC ILLNESS: Mario Walczak

Let's hope they are stood bolt upright come the World Cup next year.

England show they have adaptability; FORMER England captain LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO looks forward to the clash with world champions South Africa at Twickenham tomorrow

We'll all probably be waking up bolt upright between 1am and 6am now that our pounds 6billion deficit is to be cut by George Osborne (a man with no economic or business experience) and a man whose last job outside parliament was PR for the Cairngorms National Park.

Mr Muscle rushes to Britain's rescue

And I woke up at three in the morning, bolt upright, looked into the corner of the room and thought I saw Trudie standing there with a child - our child - in her arms, staring at me.

Sting tells of ghostly goings-on in his former home

"Within moments of the injection, Mrs Leighton jerked forward and sat bolt upright in her bed.

Adrenaline jab was fatal; MANSLAUGHTER: Registrar denies negligence

Jacking ourselves up on heels make our calves and shins tensed and elongated as your posture is kept bolt upright.

Forget the make-up and posh frocks, girls - just flash an ankle

As he was filling out the paperwork Maria sat bolt upright and asked when the Germans' next match was on.

FOOTBALL: World of football - Shanks was right -it is life and death

Malcolm got up out of his wheelchair, sat up bolt upright and walked around.

MIDLAND: Stem cell treatment helped me to walk

"When I tell this story in Hollywood, agents and film executives sit bolt upright, eyes wide open."

DON'T SHAME SCOTS HEROES, HUGH TOLD; Dad blocks WWII film

Suddenly he sits bolt upright, the sheet falling to one side to reveal a tortured face.

Becks gets a witch-doctor

THE Mayor of Liverpool's intention to explore a bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026 should make anyone who wants to see the celebration of sport come to Wales sit bolt upright.

A race to hold the Games is coming; COMMENT

I bet she sits there, bolt upright, the whole way, so she can look just as immaculate and unruffled as she did when she got on.