stickup

1 of 2

noun

stick·​up ˈstik-ˌəp How to pronounce stickup (audio)
: a robbery at gunpoint : holdup

stick up

2 of 2

verb

stuck up; sticking up; sticks up

intransitive verb

: to stand upright or on end : protrude

transitive verb

: to rob at gunpoint
Phrases
stick up for
: to speak or act in defense of : support

Examples of stickup in a Sentence

Noun He pulled out a gun and shouted, “This is a stickup!”.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
That complaint could be leveled at the inciting incident, too, a stickup attempt to snatch Miccelli’s kickbacks that ends with Rory and Cobby on the run. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024 Cadillac Richie was more of a kind of independent, stickup kid. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 10 Oct. 2024
Verb
Having frozen over due to cold temperatures, the lake with its trees sticking up out of it made for a unique skating experience for the couple in Palmer, Alaska. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024 After sticking up for his special needs sister and punching a bully, a middle schooler must defend his actions in this new musical by Ben Decter and Kristin Hanggi. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stickup 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1862, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of stickup was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near stickup

Cite this Entry

“Stickup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stickup. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

stickup

1 of 2 noun
stick·​up ˈstik-ˌəp How to pronounce stickup (audio)
: a robbery at gunpoint : holdup

stick up

2 of 2 verb
ˈstik-ˈəp
1
: to stand upright or on end : protrude
2
: to rob at gunpoint

More from Merriam-Webster on stickup

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!