: a source of mental or emotional difficulty
broadly
: problem
hung up; hanging up; hangs up
1
a
: to place on a hook or hanger designed for the purpose
hang up your coat
b
: to replace (a telephone receiver) on the cradle so that the connection is broken
2
: to keep delayed, suspended, or held up
3
: to cause to stick or snag immovably
the ship was hung up on a sandbar
1
: to break a telephone connection
2
: to become stuck or snagged so as to be immovable
Synonyms
Examples of hang-up in a Sentence
Noun
low self-esteem is only one of his many hang-ups
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Nov. 2024
He’s just got all these thoughts in his head — a map of his own intrusive images, weird hang-ups, and cultural taboos — and he’s got to get them out.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
One thing about this movie that’s so cool is no one was hung up on the literal part of playing each other.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hang-up 
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Noun
Pennsylvania county makes emergency request to extend voting hours
The RNC joined Cambria County, a red county in central Pennsylvania, to ask a judge to extend polling place hours on Tuesday because of long lines caused by ballot processing hang-ups.
—Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Nov. 2024
He’s just got all these thoughts in his head — a map of his own intrusive images, weird hang-ups, and cultural taboos — and he’s got to get them out.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
Verb
Don’t get hung up on wheat, oats, rice, and corn, though.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
One thing about this movie that’s so cool is no one was hung up on the literal part of playing each other.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hang-up
Dictionary Entries Near hang-up
Cite this Entry
“Hang-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang-up. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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