holding up 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of holding upnext
as in keeping up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

holding up

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hold up
1
as in postponing
to assign to a later time held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill traffic was held up for miles by the accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in impeding
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 surviving
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 remaining
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 flying
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval an argument that won't hold up in court

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding up
  1. postponing
  2. stopping
  3. impeding
  4. surviving
  5. remaining
  6. halting
  7. lasting
  8. continuing
Verb
  • Donald Glover has made the decision to cancel the rest of his Childish Gambino tour dates in North America and the United Kingdom, after postponing them last month.
    Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2024
  • After a three-month period of postponing public-facing duties, the King resumed forward-facing work on April 30 and has been busy ever since.
    Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 3 Oct. 2024
Definition of postponing
Verb
  • According to the Latin Recording Academy, more than 30 artists took the stage to deliver show-stopping tributes honoring the memories of key figures who made great contributions to Latin music.
    Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Opposing productivity means stopping progress.
    William Dunkelberg, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Definition of stopping
Verb
  • The Department of Transportation said more than 400 roads are closed in the state, impeding travel and rescue efforts.
    NBC News, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024
  • For slower, first-time marathoners, the risk of a super shoe impeding their efforts may not be worth the meager potential reward, especially at these prices.
    Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 29 Sep. 2024
Definition of impeding
Verb
  • The only surviving print, while in excellent condition, was missing its third reel, which encompassed Renfield’s seduction by Dracula’s brides and the count’s stormy voyage to England.
    Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2024
  • Understanding what might help can be the key to surviving this challenging period together.
    Elizabeth Pearson, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Definition of surviving
Verb
  • This could include advocating for policies that strengthen technical education, encourage research and development, and enhance digital infrastructure—all of which are critical for remaining competitive in a rapidly changing global market.
    Majeed Javdani, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
  • Top with roll tops; brush roll tops with remaining butter mixture.
    Karen Schroeder-Rankin, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of remaining
Verb
  • The 50,000 members of the union working at ports from Maine to Texas have been on strike since early Tuesday morning, halting the flow of the majority of containerized imports into the United States, along with many of the exports, disrupting the sales of American businesses overseas.
    Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024
  • The work stoppage is halting the flow of a wide variety of goods over the docks of almost all cargo ports from Maine to Texas.
    Allison Morrow, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024
Definition of halting
Verb
  • Starting young with an age-appropriate strength training program can help kids develop good movement patterns and incorporate exercise into their routine, which can have lasting benefits for their health into adulthood.
    Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 15 Nov. 2024
  • The beginning of the first shooting video in one X post captured what sounded like one shot after another initially, until seconds later there was a steady stream of gunfire that appeared to come from multiple guns lasting several minutes.
    Marquise Francis, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Definition of lasting
Verb
  • Despite cast interesting in continuing Obi-Wan Kenobi from Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, no further seasons are planned.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
  • Creel’s death from a rare and aggressive cancer at age 48 on September 30 has prompted a massive and continuing outpouring on social media of love and heartbreak from the Broadway community.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of continuing
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near holding up

holding to

holding up

holding water

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Holding up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20up. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on holding up

Nglish: Translation of holding up for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of holding up for Arabic Speakers

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