hang-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈhaŋ-ˌəp 

: a source of mental or emotional difficulty

She has a lot of hang-ups about money.

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 of hang-up

Noun

• demon

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

The investigation began in December 2024 when officers responded to a 911 hang-up call at a home in the 1200 block of Earlton Lane. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026

The biggest hang-up for those teams reportedly concerns the increase in fuel flow rate. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 11 June 2026

Verb

Xander Bogaerts got under a curveball hung up in the zone and flied out to start the inning before Gavin Sheets grounded a single up the middle and Freddy Fermin appeared to have made the second out. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2026

And while this author might be hung up on the obstacles Odysseus encounters, his travels are not without pleasure and thrill. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

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