variants
or hold-up
plural holdups or hold-ups
1
: delay
There was a holdup with my order.
What's the holdup? [=what is the reason for the delay?]
2
: a robbery carried out at gunpoint
held up; holding up; holds up
1
: to rob at gunpoint
3
: to call attention to : single out
his work was held up to ridicule
hold this up as perfection—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
: to continue in the same condition without failing or losing effectiveness or force
she's holding up under the strain
music that holds up twenty years later
Synonyms
Examples of holdup in a Sentence
Noun
There have been a series of holdups at local banks.
a holdup in construction due to the weather
Verb
held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
Recent Examples on the WebLaura King, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
Instead of scrutiny over a piece falling off mid-flight, the holdup is tied to fallout from U.S. sanctions
The 737 Max isn’t the only Boeing plane facing delays these days.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 3 May 2024
If Boeing fails to make on-time deliveries either because of FAA holdups or inability to get regulatory approval, the hit to United will impact its operations, financial position, and cash flows, the company said.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
The holdups have already forced households to make tough decisions.
—Haley Messenger, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
But some holdups involving the state's eServices platform apparently have calmed down by early March.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024
The major holdup on a potential deal is that Trout is due $248 million over the next seven seasons.
—Jesse Yomtov, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
That announcement happened in 2021, but faced delays from legal holdups and investigations, including fraud/insider trading charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
—Brian Cheung, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
The number of banks had not quite doubled between 1944 and 1964, but holdups had soared from 20 in 1945 to 121 in 1963 for the L.A. metro area, according to a Times article.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Sara Kendall, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024
The High School Musical alum also shared additional footage of herself, Jupiter and French, 43, having dinner on the beach to her Instagram Stories, which was followed by a shot of her daughter holding up a cute cat toy.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
Officers lined up outside the venue as protesters held up banners and shouted through bullhorns.
—Jason Armond, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024
The polycrystalline top and plastic stake are waterproof and heat resistant to hold up to rain, frost, heat, and more weather conditions.
—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 13 May 2024
The fabric held up well in the wash with no rips or snags throughout the month-long test.
—Deanne Revel, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 May 2024
And at Chipotle, a brand often held up as evidence of healthier fast-food tastes, a standard chicken burrito can easily contain 1,100 calories.
—Brian Gallagher, New York Times, 12 May 2024
At the University of Texas, Austin, a student held up a Palestinian flag during a commencement ceremony and refused to leave the stage briefly before being escorted away by security.
—CBS News, 12 May 2024
His threat to hold up artillery shells expanded on earlier revelations that the U.S. was going to pause a shipment of heavy bombs.
—Zeke Miller, Fortune, 9 May 2024
Noun
May 10, 2024 And even while thanking Western governments for support, Zelensky bluntly declared that delays — whether bureaucratic holdups or political disputes such as the GOP infighting that blocked U.S. assistance for six months — translate directly into loss of civilian and military lives.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
Instead of scrutiny over a piece falling off mid-flight, the holdup is tied to fallout from U.S. sanctions
The 737 Max isn’t the only Boeing plane facing delays these days.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 3 May 2024
If Boeing fails to make on-time deliveries either because of FAA holdups or inability to get regulatory approval, the hit to United will impact its operations, financial position, and cash flows, the company said.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
The holdups have already forced households to make tough decisions.
—Haley Messenger, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
But some holdups involving the state's eServices platform apparently have calmed down by early March.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024
The major holdup on a potential deal is that Trout is due $248 million over the next seven seasons.
—Jesse Yomtov, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
That announcement happened in 2021, but faced delays from legal holdups and investigations, including fraud/insider trading charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
—Brian Cheung, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
The number of banks had not quite doubled between 1944 and 1964, but holdups had soared from 20 in 1945 to 121 in 1963 for the L.A. metro area, according to a Times article.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Verb
Metal roofs are built to withstand hurricane-force winds, resist sun damage, hold up well in rain, and reflect sunlight instead of absorbing it, which keeps homes cooler.
—Sara Kendall, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024
The High School Musical alum also shared additional footage of herself, Jupiter and French, 43, having dinner on the beach to her Instagram Stories, which was followed by a shot of her daughter holding up a cute cat toy.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
Officers lined up outside the venue as protesters held up banners and shouted through bullhorns.
—Jason Armond, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024
The polycrystalline top and plastic stake are waterproof and heat resistant to hold up to rain, frost, heat, and more weather conditions.
—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 13 May 2024
The fabric held up well in the wash with no rips or snags throughout the month-long test.
—Deanne Revel, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 May 2024
And at Chipotle, a brand often held up as evidence of healthier fast-food tastes, a standard chicken burrito can easily contain 1,100 calories.
—Brian Gallagher, New York Times, 12 May 2024
At the University of Texas, Austin, a student held up a Palestinian flag during a commencement ceremony and refused to leave the stage briefly before being escorted away by security.
—CBS News, 12 May 2024
His threat to hold up artillery shells expanded on earlier revelations that the U.S. was going to pause a shipment of heavy bombs.
—Zeke Miller, Fortune, 9 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'holdup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near holdup
Cite this Entry
“Holdup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdup. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
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