holdup

1 of 2

noun

hold·​up ˈhōld-ˌəp 

variants or hold-up

plural holdups or hold-ups

1

: delay

There was a holdup with my order.

What's the holdup? [=what is the reason for the delay?]

2

: a robbery carried out at gunpoint

hold up

2 of 2

verb

held up; holding up; holds up

transitive verb

1

: to rob at gunpoint

2

: delay, impede

3

: to call attention to : single out

his work was held up to ridicule

hold this up as perfection

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

intransitive verb

: to continue in the same condition without failing or losing effectiveness or force

she's holding up under the strain

music that holds up twenty years later

Synonyms

Noun

• delay
• detainment
• detention
• holdback
• holding pattern
• wait

Verb

• defer
• delay
• hold off (on)
• hold over
• lay over
• postpone
• put off
• put over
• remit
• shelve

Examples of holdup in a Sentence

Noun

There have been a series of holdups at local banks.

a holdup in construction due to the weather

Verb

held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address

traffic was held up for miles by the accident

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This year, glitches and holdups with the form kept many vulnerable people from getting across the finish line. —Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 1 May 2024

For supporters of Ukraine, Vance’s selection is also a reminder of his prominent role in a congressional battle that resulted in a six-month holdup of a $61-billion U.S. aid package, a logjam that broke in April when House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) allowed a vote to release the assistance. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2024

Verb

Critics say these mega-basins—which can hold up to 720 million liters, the equivalent of nearly 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools—are effectively hoarding water, reserving it for private landowners, leaving rivers parched and local groundwater systems depleted. —Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 7 Aug. 2024

Many of them held up their drinks in front of the shop to snap a picture of the sleeve with the Oud instrument drawn sitting inside a coffee cup with a Palestinian keffiyeh design etched between. —Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1851, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

holdup

1 of 2 noun

hold·​up

1

: a robbery at gunpoint

2

: delay entry 1 sense 1

hold up

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)hōl-ˈdəp

1

: delay entry 2 sense 2, impede

2

: to rob at gunpoint

3

: to continue without failing or losing effectiveness

holding up under the stress

music that holds up twenty years later

Legal Definition

holdup

1 of 2 noun

hold·​up

: an attempted or completed robbery carried out with the use of force and especially at gunpoint

hold up

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to make the victim of a holdup : rob at gunpoint