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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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
Tom Cotton, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2026
Washable rugs, once considered a niche product, are now gaining popularity among pet owners looking for solutions that hold up over time.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Morgan Rynor, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The charges reportedly stem from Fontenette’s role in a violent robbery and assault of a Bulldog Express convenience store clerk in Nederland in October 2025, in which Fontenette and two others used a firearm to carry out the holdup.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Verb
That starts with retooling the permitting process that approves — or, more often, holds up — major power generation, mining and other critical infrastructure and defense-related projects.
—Tom Cotton, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2026
Washable rugs, once considered a niche product, are now gaining popularity among pet owners looking for solutions that hold up over time.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
The holdup on arresting Tyson is that the public defender originally assigned to Tyson also represents Jones.
—Morgan Rynor, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The charges reportedly stem from Fontenette’s role in a violent robbery and assault of a Bulldog Express convenience store clerk in Nederland in October 2025, in which Fontenette and two others used a firearm to carry out the holdup.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold up
Verb
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But Boston was postponed due to the pandemic and that June, Romond fell off a horse and landed hard on her feet, rupturing ACLs in both knees.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The weather postponed the second game of a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Quin Snyder’s Towns wrinkle stalled the Knicks briefly, then stopped working.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The workers get ordered to start jobs, stop jobs, ignore jobs and are other things that turn them into ping pong balls, with the Butleys and the del Valles as the paddles.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The intensity of the flames and the resulting smoke, compounded by the fact that the fire spread over the area mostly after dark, hampered the aerial firefighting strategy.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But without Dosunmu, the prospect of surviving this first-round series that is worthy of a West Finals matchup would be nonexistent.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Baseball regional winners included Orangewood Christian, Deltona Trinity, and TFA, which scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th to survive.—
Steve Gorches,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Here's a breakdown of the 10 best remaining fits for Denver at their late-second-round slot Friday.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The woman used her hand to shield herself as Peavey continued to strike her with the remaining part of the brick before walking away.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For so long this season, Arsenal were flying high at the summit of the division and looked destined to end their 22-year wait for the title.—
Nnamdi Onyeagwara,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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There are flying cars held at bay by the power of telekenesis and Park teleporting, as the crew clumsily accept their new ‘hero’ roles and attempt to take on the villains threatening the peace of Haeseong City.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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O'Hara said those delays in January were isolated and a direct result of Operation Metro Surge's drain on local resources.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
That is what the delay was, technical difficulties.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In February, opponents packed the City Hall chambers ahead of a planned Historic Preservation Board meeting, which was ultimately deferred at the Fontainebleau’s request after one of the board members didn’t show up.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Booker deferred too much to Durant.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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