hang-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈhaŋ-ˌəp 

: 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

Synonyms

Noun

• demon
• torment

Examples of hang-up in a Sentence

Noun

low self-esteem is only one of his many hang-ups

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Most of the hang-up was over the requirement for up to seven days’ notice before officers could break up encampments, which the council reduced to three days before delaying a final vote until June 30. —Tim Clouser, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025

The police department still received 1,921 calls for the year with the most coming from burglar alarms – 843 — and 911 hang-ups — 269. —John Tuohy, IndyStar, 16 Apr. 2025

Verb

Country music icon Keith Urban appeared to abruptly hang up on radio hosts during an interview after being asked a question about wife Nicole Kidman. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025

There are a few items our experts say are acceptable to hang up or place on a drying rack to dry naturally instead of tossing in the dryer. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 27 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1952, in the meaning defined above

Verb

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

Rhymes for hang-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

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