hole up

verb

holed up; holing up; holes up
Synonyms of hole upnext

intransitive verb

: to hide out in or as if in a hole or cave

transitive verb

: to place in or as if in a refuge or hiding place

Examples of hole up in a Sentence

we'll hole up in the cellar and wait out the hurricane
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
For the next few days, while my toddler felt miserable, he and I were mostly holed up in the room snuggling while the rest of my family got sun-kissed at the beach with their cousins. Kris Ann Valdez, Parents, 18 June 2026 Fortuitously, the team’s powers that be had set up shop at Lurie’s lakefront mansion in Palm Beach, about 45 miles up the Florida coast from Sirianni, who was holed up at the house of his brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Michael Silver, New York Times, 16 June 2026 Tear gas and rubber bullets were fired inside the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Ankara, where party officials and supporters, including leader Özgür Özel, were holed up for days. Chad De Guzman, Time, 25 May 2026 Police stormed the offices of Turkey’s main opposition party Sunday, firing tear gas and rubber bullets at party supporters and officials who had been holed up inside for three days. Cinar Kiper, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hole up

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of hole up was in 1875

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hole up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hole%20up. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

hole up

verb
: to take shelter in or as if in a hole or cave
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