holdup

1 of 2

noun

hold·​up ˈhōld-ˌəp How to pronounce holdup (audio)
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
3
: to call attention to : single out
his work was held up to ridicule
hold this up as perfectionThe 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

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
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
Bank robbery has become such a risky, low-yield crime that the FBI is recording fewer holdups than ever before. Michael Loria, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2025 One of the holdups has been figuring out how to get the treatments to their destinations inside the body, or delivery, as it’s known in the industry. Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
Instead, Booker’s performance was a broader critique of Trump’s agenda, meant to hold up the Senate’s business and draw attention to what Democrats are doing to contest the president. Mike Catalini and Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025 If the big pieces of the contract are in agreement between both sides, what is holding up a deal from being finalized? Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for holdup

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1851, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of holdup was in 1837

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Holdup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdup. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

holdup

1 of 2 noun
hold·​up
1
: a robbery at gunpoint
2

hold up

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)hōl-ˈdəp
1
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

More from Merriam-Webster on holdup

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!