hold up 1 of 2

verb

Definition of hold upnext
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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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

holdup

2 of 2

noun

ˈhōld-ˌəp How to pronounce holdup (audio)
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

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.
Recent Examples of 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
  1. postpone
  2. stop
  3. hamper
  4. survive
  5. remain
  6. fly
  7. delay
  8. defer
Verb
  • Billy Joel postpones his tour due to an undisclosed medical condition: ‘My health must come first.’ At Southwest Airlines, bags will no longer fly free. Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times.
    — Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Billy Joel is postponing his tour for four months after surgery over an unspecified medical condition, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame artist announced Tuesday morning.
    — Ethan Millman, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of postpone
Verb
  • Bars in the neighborhood must stop admitting patrons at 6:30pm and end alcohol service by 7pm Sunday.
    — Mike Deehan, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Just a normal kid, that is, until two girls stop him, eyes wide and mouths agape, to ask for photos.
    — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of stop
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of hamper
Verb
  • 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
  • The nine-year-old boy who lived there, Roki Sasaki, survived.
    — Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of survive
Verb
  • Now, only one question remains: Who will play JFK Jr.?
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2025
  • For utility executives, the complication of rising power demand remains top of mind.
    — Justin Worland/Houston, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of remain
Verb
  • So, is Disney’s newest leading man taken or flying solo?
    — Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 21 Mar. 2025
  • 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
Definition of fly
Noun
  • Many brands still use spreadsheets, emails and phone calls to manage some aspects of logistics, leading to inefficiencies and delays.
    — Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The delay, prompted by an issue with the launchpad’s ground system, further hindered the return of the two NASA astronauts who in June flew to the space station aboard the troubled Starliner.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of delay
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of defer

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Cite this Entry

“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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