1
as in to postpone
to assign to a later time
held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
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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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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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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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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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Examples of hold up in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 31 Oct. 2024
Despite worries over inflation, the Commerce Department report showed income and spending held up during the month.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2024
If the contract holdup continues for multiple weeks, some Louisville and Kentucky fans may be left in the dark whenever a game airs on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and the ACC and SEC networks.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hold up 
Verb
Read more about Roger Centre’s bag policy here so that you don’t get held up the day of.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 31 Oct. 2024
Despite worries over inflation, the Commerce Department report showed income and spending held up during the month.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
The holdup had been the band’s frontman, Stephen Malkmus, who didn’t want a traditional documentary or a movie with a screenplay.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2024
If the contract holdup continues for multiple weeks, some Louisville and Kentucky fans may be left in the dark whenever a game airs on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and the ACC and SEC networks.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hold up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold up
Verb
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Zayn Malik recently postponed his first ever solo tour following the news, while his 1D bandmates have paid tribute to their late friend.Thomas Smith, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2024
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Roberson was subpoenaed to appear, but his testimony was postponed.Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Authorities did not take any chances when stopping him.Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 26 Oct. 2024
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The singer stopped a concert in June to reflect on the difficulty of all the new media attention, and has repeatedly ranted on social media about fans violating her boundaries.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Mark Yarm October 30, 2024 7:16 AM EDT Approximately 25% of adults experience frequent knee pain, a condition that can hamper their enjoyment of the outdoors—particularly when walking uphill.Mark Yarm, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
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Another exception will apply if the professional or professionals who are providing services or information to comply with the BOI rules have been significantly hampered by the hurricane.Alan Gassman, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The skeleton or bones can survive for some centuries or even longer.David Bressan, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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The accounts of those trapped beneath the rubble, pregnant women struggling to survive, and orphaned children must reach those in power.Elizabeth Wells, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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What role Kennedy might hold if Trump wins on Tuesday remains unclear.Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2024
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Despite bipartisan support, the measure has remained in committee.Addy Bink, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Anne Henry, 36, flew in from Orlando with two friends for less than 24 hours to try for tickets knowing that not attending the concert was a real possibility.Holly V. Hays, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Nov. 2024
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One solution that could be used to restore a sense of exclusivity within a loyalty program is the introduction of invitation-only tiers reserved for travelers who have shown significant loyalty through flying exclusively, not by spending on credit cards.Jeff Fromm, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Many consider lead time, the delay between when consumers order their devices and when they will be delivered, to be a key indicator of demand.Andrew Torgan, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024
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The recommendation also follows a June Supreme Court ruling that limited prosecutors’ ability to charge Jan. 6 insurrectionists with obstruction and several delays to Schaffer’s sentencing date.Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The agreement gives the city 30 years instead of 20 to catch up on payments that were deferred during Detroit's bankruptcy 10 years ago.Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press, 1 Nov. 2024
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For 2024, employees can defer up to $23,000 into 401(k) plans, up from $22,500 in 2023.Kate Dore, CFP®, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2024
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 8 Nov. 2024.
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