Meaning of butt up | Babel Free

Definitions

1. To touch closely, to scrape (against); to press firmly (against).
   idiomatic, intransitive
2. To be in sharp contrast with; to confront.
   figuratively, idiomatic, intransitive

Examples

“Tonight’s sumptuous two-hour gig butts up hard against the curfew. Minutes often go by during which Murphy dispenses entirely with the business of singing pop songs. She’ll vogue, or reanimate some acid house moves, letting the beat take over.”

“At their zenith—arguably their infamous two-consecutive-night Knebworth gigs in 1996—Oasis embodied a very particular swaggering Manchester-ness, an unmatched scally confidence that butted up against a more constructed, dare I say pretentious, British music scene.”

CEFR level