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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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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The park also provides convenient shuttle buses to transport guests throughout the park, which stop just outside the lodge.—
Sophie Mendel,
Travel + Leisure,
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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Now, only one question remains: Who will play JFK Jr.?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
22 Mar. 2025
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For utility executives, the complication of rising power demand remains top of mind.—
Justin Worland/Houston,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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So, is Disney’s newest leading man taken or flying solo?—
Jenzia Burgos,
StyleCaster,
21 Mar. 2025
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Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium indicates that 615 flights are scheduled to depart from Heathrow on Saturday, with a further 604 flights due to fly to the airport.—
Tamara Hardingham-Gill,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Passengers were provided meal vouchers and undisclosed compensation for their delay, the spokesperson said.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
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 2 Apr. 2025.
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