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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hold up
Josh Fellman, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2025
The final snap in the carousel also showed two mugs printed with photos of Stause and G Flip being held up.
—Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
But paperwork holdups, including slower-than-expected FBI background checks, could get in the way of that time frame.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Verb
Jobs numbers have been mixed, but retail sales and industrial production have held up while business sentiment craters.
—Josh Fellman, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2025
The final snap in the carousel also showed two mugs printed with photos of Stause and G Flip being held up.
—Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Noun
A day after a second exchange of Israeli hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, the holdup underlined the risks hanging over the truce between the militant group and Israel, longtime adversaries in a series of Gaza wars.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
But paperwork holdups, including slower-than-expected FBI background checks, could get in the way of that time frame.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Jan. 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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Over recent weeks, CISA employees, all speaking on the condition of anonymity, had told Forbes morale was low and concerns were high that important work was being hampered by the cuts.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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Both Iran and North Korea could then use Russian nuclear and missile technology to develop advanced weapons that would hamper the U.S. military’s response options in East Asia and the Middle East—and even threaten the American homeland.—
Christopher S. Chivvis,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Preserved pollen grains and other spores told them about the diversity of plant life in the refugium, something like an oasis where there is food and water available, and environmental conditions are moderate enough to keep organisms surviving through natural disasters and other adverse conditions.—
Elizabeth Rayne,
Ars Technica,
18 Mar. 2025
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The nine-year-old boy who lived there, Roki Sasaki, survived.—
Austin Knoblauch,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Now, only one question remains: Who will play JFK Jr.?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
22 Mar. 2025
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Despite all of this downside, a certain category of restaurant has remained attractive to private equity - QSR franchises, which are driven by the potential for scalable growth and consistent revenue streams.—
Shimite Obialo,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Brady flew three different Huey helicopters under heavy fire in Vietnam in 1968, rescuing 51 people.—
Jason Allen,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2025
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Deportations fly in the face of judicial orders, careening the country toward a constitutional crisis.—
Brian Barrett,
WIRED,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Verb
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This, even after Trump opted to defer his initial 25-percent duties on Canadian products until early April.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
12 Mar. 2025
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Over 100 employees at the Office of Federal Student Aid accepted buyouts in February as part of a Trump administration deferred resignation program, draining the department of experienced staff when borrowers need help the most.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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