hang-up

1 of 2

noun

: a source of mental or emotional difficulty
broadly : problem

hang up

2 of 2

verb

hung up; hanging up; hangs up

transitive verb

1
a
: to place on a hook or hanger designed for the purpose
hang up your coat
b
: to replace (a telephone receiver) on the cradle so that the connection is broken
2
: to keep delayed, suspended, or held up
3
: to cause to stick or snag immovably
the ship was hung up on a sandbar

intransitive verb

1
: to break a telephone connection
2
: to become stuck or snagged so as to be immovable

Examples of hang-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The hang-ups and prejudices of older generations are not theirs. Kate T. Parker, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 Since the buildings opened, the Police Department has had 762 calls for service there, including calls from Windsor Pointe residents, neighbors, police patrols, follow-up visits and 911 hang-ups, according to Police Chief Mickey Williams. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 CEOs face formidable challenges, whether leading a company during a pandemic, navigating various geopolitical tensions, inflation, logistical hang-ups, or the lingering possibility of a recession. Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 No one’s hang-up is any stranger than anyone else’s. Jesse Green, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 The hang-up is a bit of an odd one for Lotus, because it’s previously sold a car in the U.S. with the same exact mill. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2024 According to the lawsuit, Flores repeatedly telephoned them for six weeks and filled their answering machine with silent hang-up calls. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024 The administration quickly abandoned that plan after consultations with Arab partners who opposed the proposal out fear that fleeing Palestinians may never be able to return to Gaza — a major hang-up given the painful history of generations of Palestinian refugees. John Hudson, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2023 Coming from above-ground plants, the conifer material avoids the original hang-up associated with the Ruppia seeds. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 5 Oct. 2023
Verb
For most users, the best smartphone camera has to be ample enough that its photos are shareable on social media or printed out and hung up on the wall with little editing beforehand. Florence Ion / Gizmodo, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 After winning only one state—Vermont—and the District of Columbia, and losing 22 states to former President Donald Trump, Haley decided to hang up her hat. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 The Philadelphia Eagles center held a press conference to announce his retirement from the league after 13 years on the team Jason Kelce has officially hung up his cleats and retired from the NFL. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 When Newsom calls Biden (Mikey Day) on FaceTime, the frazzled president can’t raise the volume and instead hangs up on the call. Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Before hanging up on a Herald reporter, Thompson had something to say about Nicollette Gonzalez, the woman who used Small Move Movers and sued Thompson in Miami-Dade Circuit Court. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 This is my fourth call about this; I have been transferred three times and twice hung up on. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 The same goes for Rahim’s bad guy crawling the walls in an all-black Spidey suit, which doesn’t really jibe with any sort of cinematic-universe timeline to be honest, but why get hung up on details? David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2024 Shocked and grieving, Tony hangs up his badge and gun and heads to Paris to become a full-time parent to Tali. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hang-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1952, in the meaning defined above

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hang-up was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hang-up

Cite this Entry

“Hang-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang-up. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hang-up

1 of 2 noun
ˈhaŋ-ˌəp
: a source of mental or emotional difficulty

hang up

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)haŋ-ˈəp
1
a
: to place on a hook or hanger
hang up your coat
b
: to replace a telephone receiver on the cradle so that the connection is broken
also : to end a telephone conversation
2
: to snag or cause to snag so as to be immovable
a boat hung up on rocks
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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