Definition of holdup
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: delay
2
: a robbery carried out at gunpoint
hold up
verb
held up; holding up; holds up
Definition of hold up (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to rob at gunpoint
3
: to call attention to : single out
his work was held up to ridicule hold this up as perfection — The Times Literary Supplement (London)
: to continue in the same condition without failing or losing effectiveness or force
she's holding up under the strain music that holds up twenty years later
Buying Guide
Our Reviews team has selected the best home security camera systems.
Test Your Vocabulary
Which Word Does Not Belong?
-
- Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share holdup
Time Traveler for holdup
The first known use of holdup was in 1837
See more words from the same year