be/stay holed up
idiom
informal
: to stay in a place hidden or apart from other people
The band was/stayed holed up in the recording studio to record their album.
Examples of be/stay holed up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fighting in Gaza remains fiercest in the southern city of Khan Younis, where Hamas' top leaders are believed to be holed up in a network of tunnels.
—
Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2024
Israeli security forces stormed into a town near Tubas, northeast of the Palestinian city of Nablus, and surrounded a house where militants were believed to be holed up.
—Isabel Debre The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2023
The Azovstal Steel and Iron Works facility in Mariupol, pictured this year before Russia's invasion, is now the site where the key port city's last Ukrainian defenders are thought to be holed up under bombardment from Russian forces.
—Phil McCausland, NBC News, 19 Apr. 2022
Deputies surrounded the apartment where the suspect was believed to be holed up, alone and armed, according to the broadcast.
—oregonlive, 26 July 2023
Gunfire could still be heard Saturday evening as security forces tried to contain the last gunmen thought to be holed up on the hotel’s top floor.
—Omar Faruk, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Aug. 2022
Some of those still in the city, like Ms. Mikheenko, stay holed up in their basements, but not everyone does.
—New York Times, 26 Apr. 2022
As restaurants close their doors to dine-in customers and millions of Americans stay holed up at home, food delivery workers are more crucial than ever.
—Taylor Mooney, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2020
Andrew Blankstein and Doha Madani Law enforcement personnel on Sunday open the door of a van in Torrance, Calif., where the suspect in the mass shooting in which 10 people were killed in Monterey Park is believed to be holed up.
—Erick Mendoza, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2023
Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2024
Israeli security forces stormed into a town near Tubas, northeast of the Palestinian city of Nablus, and surrounded a house where militants were believed to be holed up.
—Isabel Debre The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2023
The Azovstal Steel and Iron Works facility in Mariupol, pictured this year before Russia's invasion, is now the site where the key port city's last Ukrainian defenders are thought to be holed up under bombardment from Russian forces.
—Phil McCausland, NBC News, 19 Apr. 2022
Deputies surrounded the apartment where the suspect was believed to be holed up, alone and armed, according to the broadcast.
—oregonlive, 26 July 2023
Gunfire could still be heard Saturday evening as security forces tried to contain the last gunmen thought to be holed up on the hotel’s top floor.
—Omar Faruk, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Aug. 2022
Some of those still in the city, like Ms. Mikheenko, stay holed up in their basements, but not everyone does.
—New York Times, 26 Apr. 2022
As restaurants close their doors to dine-in customers and millions of Americans stay holed up at home, food delivery workers are more crucial than ever.
—Taylor Mooney, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2020
Andrew Blankstein and Doha Madani Law enforcement personnel on Sunday open the door of a van in Torrance, Calif., where the suspect in the mass shooting in which 10 people were killed in Monterey Park is believed to be holed up.
—Erick Mendoza, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'be/stay holed up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Cite this Entry
“Be/stay holed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/be%2Fstay%20holed%20up. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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