1
as in to postpone
to assign to a later time
held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to hamper
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
if lack of transportation is the only thing holding you up, I can give you a ride
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to survive
to continue to operate or to meet one's needs
the air conditioner held up this year, but it's not going to make it through another summer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to remain
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state
the storm's hurricane-force winds did not hold up once it hit the coast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to fly
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
an argument that won't hold up in court
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
a holdup in construction due to the weather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hold up
Hannah Sacks, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
In between the two murders, police say Ragan held up a Liberty City convenience store, a North Miami hamburger joint and a Northwest Miami-Dade dollar store.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2025
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2025
There was no explanation this week for the nearly three-year delay in approving a formal agreement, though a source familiar with the situation said the holdup came from Washington.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Verb
Other photos included in the post showcased her daughters visiting the 9/11 memorial, attempting to pose for a picture holding up the Statue of Liberty and attending MJ: The Musical on Broadway.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
In between the two murders, police say Ragan held up a Liberty City convenience store, a North Miami hamburger joint and a Northwest Miami-Dade dollar store.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
Projects could get more expensive, or face holdups, if an escalating trade war ends up disrupting supply chains.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2025
There was no explanation this week for the nearly three-year delay in approving a formal agreement, though a source familiar with the situation said the holdup came from Washington.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold up
Verb
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Schumer, who leads the Democrats in the Senate minority, postponed his book tour after facing outrage from the Democratic base for supporting a Republican spending bill.—
Kyle Khan-Mullins,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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But Libby's amendments were not even considered, and Democrats moved to have the amendments indefinitely postponed.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Telling a 22-year-old to stop posting online altogether probably won’t get you far, but encouraging them to limit who can see their information is a reasonable compromise.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
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There’s nothing to stop this being made available to other OEMs.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Frederiksen said that other European nations are also on Denmark's side in this back-and-forth with Trump, already hampering the ties between the U.S. and its allies since Trump regained office.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2025
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With a starting rotation hampered by injuries, the Mets are going to rely on the offense and bullpen to get them through the beginning of the season.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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It’s supposed to be a joyous occasion, when families gather for feasts and purchase new clothes for children — but most of Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians are just trying to survive.—
Tia Goldenberg,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2025
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It’s supposed to be a joyous occasion when families feast and purchase new clothes for children, but most of Gaza’s 2 million people are just trying to survive.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The official said Canada and Mexico were omitted because tariffs the U.S. previously imposed on both countries remain in effect.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Apr. 2025
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But despite Tuesday’s result, Musk remains undeterred in his political ambitions.—
Will Steakin,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Ed O’Keefe, meanwhile, flew to Ontario to examine the effect of Trump tariffs on electricity from Canada.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2025
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The mom and son were flown to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Limited options amid development delays NASA also has Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft on its internal schedule for a May launch this year.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
26 Mar. 2025
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Despite SpaceX picking up the national security slack during Vulcan delays, the ULA rocket’s capability is something Space Force personnel have anxiously awaited. Brig.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Those duties will take effect next week unless Trump opts again to defer them or reaches a deal with the other countries’ heads of state.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Mar. 2025
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To oust her, the government needs to reconvene after deferring the matter to the same committee that appointed her and hearing its recommendation.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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