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
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
4 July 2026
When our expert reviewed it, the XPS 14 Premium's Intel Core Ultra 7 processor held up nicely in our performance tests, where the 32GB of RAM definitely came in clutch.
—
Kelsey Fogarty,
PC Magazine,
4 July 2026
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
The city comptroller has launched an investigation into City Hall’s handing of outdoor dining permits, raising concerns about procedural holdups that could be preventing hundreds of restaurants from opening up en plein air seating this spring.
—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Verb
Vozinha could hold up in the face of a relentless Argentina attack for only so long, however.
—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
4 July 2026
When our expert reviewed it, the XPS 14 Premium's Intel Core Ultra 7 processor held up nicely in our performance tests, where the 32GB of RAM definitely came in clutch.
—
Kelsey Fogarty,
PC Magazine,
4 July 2026
Noun
Those actively tracking the developments wondered about the holdup.
—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
The city comptroller has launched an investigation into City Hall’s handing of outdoor dining permits, raising concerns about procedural holdups that could be preventing hundreds of restaurants from opening up en plein air seating this spring.
—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold up
Verb
-
Virginia July 3 Falls Church Civic Jam - postponed to July 24.
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For international taxpayers who have postponed coming into compliance, that trend should not be ignored.
Verb
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When there was a pause in the action, referee Raphael Claus stopped the match to look at VAR to determine whether Balogun committed a foul worthy of a red card.
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Making new friends isn’t something that has to stop at a certain point in your life.
Verb
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The decision severely hampered local planning for America’s 250th anniversary, disrupting history projects, museums and educational programs nationwide.
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Chwalińska took a medical timeout for the injury at the end of the game, and she was clearly hampered by it for the rest of the match.
Verb
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But can this love story survive the Jackson ranch's shady dealings?
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These are hero buys that will survive the elements, no matter whether plans include scaling mountains or sunning in parks.
Verb
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Still, the pieces of ceiling trim dedicated to the pillars of courage and trust remained missing, a nod perhaps to the traits most easily lost when disaster strikes – and most needed to rebuild.
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There’s enough cash on hand for Rhaenyra to administer the Seven Kingdoms for a fortnight, and no one remaining from the old regime — not Alicent, not Orwyle — knows where Lannister hid the rest of the ingots.
Verb
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Adeline André will close out the official calendar in Paris, on Thursday at 4pm, while a number of attendees will fly to Rome for the Fendi show that evening at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.
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Norway and Brazil were locked in a tense, back-and-forth game Sunday, in the round of 16, until Haaland came flying in with that header to give Norway a 1-0 lead.
Noun
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But the heat has led to cancellations and delays in several states.
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The city commission reached a major step forward on the project after months of delays and disagreements over the best way to replace the old City Hall, which was damaged beyond repair by the historic flooding of April 2023.
Verb
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That’s true even when proceeds are held in escrow (exceptions can apply if the escrow is tied to contingencies), or when payment is deferred.
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For consumers and logistics fleets who deferred major purchases out of fear that gas and diesel prices would remain permanently elevated, this stabilization acts as a powerful green light.
Cite this Entry
“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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