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
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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
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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
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as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
a holdup in construction due to the weather
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hold up
Rachel McRady, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Helene Noa Dubois held up a service dog to the glass as Nelson spoke.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2025
Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
The last holdup to a major year-end health care package is a dispute over the details of a provision to streamline the prior authorization process in Medicare Advantage, sources say.
—Peter Sullivan, Axios, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hold up 
Verb
Ben and Samuel were captured with matching expressions during one particularly exciting shot, with Samuel holding up three fingers and screaming as his excited dad watched the shot go in.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Helene Noa Dubois held up a service dog to the glass as Nelson spoke.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2025
Noun
Most of the holdup is (more than likely) caused by negotiations with Alonso and his agent, Scott Boras.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
The last holdup to a major year-end health care package is a dispute over the details of a provision to streamline the prior authorization process in Medicare Advantage, sources say.
—Peter Sullivan, Axios, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hold up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold up
Verb
-
While the 25 percent levy on imports from Mexico and Canada are postponed for 30 days, the 10 percent tariff on certain goods from China went into effect Tuesday morning.—
Vicki M. Young,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Feb. 2025
-
Use extra caution and consider postponing travel until winds subside, or take an alternate route.—
Rachel Dobkin,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Adesanya later stopped Pereira to reclaim the belt, with the Brazilian later moving up to light heavyweight and eventually capturing the 205-pound title.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
-
Back in Europe, small to medium sized sales companies, who have long since stopped attending the AFM due to the cost, are increasingly discussing the lack of a fully-fledged fall market in the region to mop up sales on films launched at the late summer to early fall festivals.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Getting the longest of those delays can hamper any chance of beating Tyson in the first round.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Experts in workplace safety have warned that could inhibit them from speaking up about health threats on the job, hampering efforts to stop hazards and illnesses.—
Emily Alpert Reyes,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
He is survived by his daughter, the actor Nicole Burley.—
Mark Kennedy,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Any nuclear thermal propulsion fuel aboard a spacecraft would have to be able to survive extreme temperatures and exposure to hot hydrogen gas.—
Julian Dossett,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
One regular-season game remains before St. Charles East opens at 6 p.m. next Tuesday in the Willowbrook Regional semifinals.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2025
-
The crowd remained loud as Doncic, on his first touch as a Laker, found Jaxson Hayes for an alley-oop dunk.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The demonstrator flew 10 more subsonic flights, then went supersonic for the first time on Jan. 28 of this year.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Next, families fly to Cottar’s Bush Villa in the Maasai Mara’s Borana Wildlife Conservancy, where everyone can gather Circle of Life–style for sundowners at the inspiration for Lion King’s Pride Rock.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
AFAR Media,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Across the economy, such delays could mean a softer job market and more slowly growing economy.—
Paul Davidson,
USA TODAY,
6 Feb. 2025
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The rule change is also likely to result in delivery delays since the packages now have to go through customs, Juozas Kaziukenas, founder of e-commerce intelligence firm Marketplace Pulse, told the Associated Press.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
This partnership is only possible in part because of Toews’ willingness to defer.—
Corey Masisak,
The Denver Post,
9 Feb. 2025
-
More teams now prefer to defer, choosing to start with the ball in the second half instead.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hold up
Cite this Entry
“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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