press up to

[giuly90]

Dear teachers,

what is the meaning of this phrasal verb?

Here's the sentence where I found it:

"One of the striking features
of fiction is that one can safely observe people in their most
intimate moments, pressing up to their faces and bodies in ways
that one could never do in real life".

Best,
G.

 

[Raymott]

Dear teachers,

what is the meaning of this phrasal verb?

Here's the sentence where I found it:

"One of the striking features
of fiction is that one can safely observe people in their most
intimate moments, pressing up to their faces and bodies in ways
that one could never do in real life".

Best,
G.

It means 'pressing against'.
You can't press against other people's bodies on a bus, for example - unless you're a pervert, or live in a very crowded city. But the writer is saying that you can do that to a character in a novel.
Personally, I've never noticed that. I must try it.