tap up
English edit
Verb edit
tap up (third-person singular simple present taps up, present participle tapping up, simple past and past participle tapped up)
- (transitive, UK) To make a specific approach to a person considered to be suitable for a professional position.
- In earlier years, the intelligence services would often recruit agents by tapping them up.
- (transitive, UK, sports) To make an approach to a player, under contract to another club, in order to attempt to negotiate a transfer.
- Synonym: (US, Canada) tamper