HOLE UP Synonyms: 17 Similar and Opposite Words

hole up

verb

Definition of hole up

as in to hide

to remain out of sight we'll hole up in the cellar and wait out the hurricane

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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 hole up On the day of our video chat, Alejandro and Estevan—currently on tour with Jack Johnson—are spending a morning holed up in their hotel rooms and understandably side-eyeing TVs in the background. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 July 2026 Audiophiles can spend their days holed up in the dedicated music-listening room, while children have their own hideaway, a playroom equipped with a climbing wall, monkey bars, a swing, and a floor that is both padded and heated. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 July 2026 Out and about The Dutch players were not interested in staying holed up in the Cascade Hotel when not training. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026 With Burnham's victory last week, Starmer holed up in the prime minister's country estate over the weekend to consider his options as some party insiders urged him to set a timetable for his resignation. — ABC News, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hole up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hole up

Verb

Though males are wingless and females can fly short distances, that reproductive efficiency — combined with its tiny size and penchant for hiding in wood — has supercharged a rapid spread across South Africa.

— Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Bosch reminded the public to lock their vehicles and hide valuables, noting that thieves often scan for unlocked cars by looking for extended side mirrors.

— Peter D'Oench, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of hide

Verb

Sub hunting goes on all the time, usually to keep crews in practice as well as to monitor the locations and capabilities of potentially hostile boats lurking beneath the waves.

— David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
Maybe dark oxygen would allow for other multicellular creatures to lurk even deeper in the rock.

— James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of lurk

Verb

However, beneath the park lies an enormous volcanic system capable of producing eruptions far larger than those associated with conventional volcanoes.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Fierro Morales noted that western Colombia lies along a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of lie

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holes up

hole up

holey

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“Hole up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hole%20up. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of hole up

verb

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