hold up

hold up

verb

Definition of HOLD UP

1

to assign to a later time <held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address>

Synonyms defer, delay, hold off (on), hold over, hold up, lay over, put off, put over, remit, shelve

Related Words suspend; hesitate, pause, stay; detain, retard, slow; extend, lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch (out); wait

Near Antonyms act, deal (with), decide (upon), do, work (on)

2

to bring (something) to a standstill <traffic was held up for miles by the accident>

Synonyms arrest, bring up, catch, check, draw up, fetch up, hold up, pull up, stall, stay, still, stop

Related Words baffle, balk, block, blockade, bottleneck, clog, dam, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, obstruct, snag, stem; conclude, cut off, end, terminate; call, discontinue, suspend; choke off, rein (in), repress, squash, squelch, stanch (or staunch), stunt, suppress, turn back

Near Antonyms carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep (on), keep up, persist, run on; advance, fare, go along, march, move, proceed, progress, wend; actuate, budge, drive, goad, impel, propel, push, spur, stir

3

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>

Synonyms clog, cramp, embarrass, encumber, fetter, handcuff, handicap, hinder, hobble, hog-tie, hold back, hold up, impede, inhibit, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, short-circuit, stymie, tie up, trammel

Related Words balk, check, constrain, curb, rein, restrain; bind, chain, halter, leash, tether, tie; arrest, brake, delay, retain, retard; barricade, block, blockade, roadblock; bog (down), mire; choke, smother, stifle, strangle, suffocate; baffle, foil, frustrate, stump, thwart; derail, disrupt, sabotage; muzzle, repress, suppress; confine, hedge (in), hem (in)

Near Antonyms clear, make way, open, unclog, unplug, unstop; free, liberate, release, untie; loosen, smooth; encourage, further, promote

Antonyms aid, assist, facilitate, help

4

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 hold up, keep up, last, prevail, survive

Related Words bear up, carry on, cope, endure, fare, get along, get by, get on, go, hang in, make out, manage, persevere; abide, continue, draw out, hang on, hold on, linger, persist, remain, run on, stretch

Near Antonyms break, break down, collapse, conk (out), crash, cut out, die, expire, stall, stop; run down, wane

Antonyms fail, fizzle, give out, go out, peter (out), run out

5

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>

Synonyms abide, bide, endure, hold on, hold up, keep up, last, perdure, persist, remain, run on

Related Words linger, stay, stick around, tarry; carry through, prevail, survive

Near Antonyms abate, die (down), ebb, let up, moderate, subside, wane

Antonyms cease, close, conclude, desist, die, discontinue, end, expire, finish, lapse, leave off, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up

6

to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval <an argument that won't hold up in court>

Synonyms fly, hold up, pass, stand up

Related Words get through, go down, go over, go through, play, take, work