holdup

noun

hold·up | \ ˈhōld-ˌəp

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)

transitive verb

1 : to rob at gunpoint

2 : delay, impede

3 : to call attention to : single out his work was held up to ridicule hold this up as perfection — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

intransitive verb

: 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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about holdup

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Examples of holdup in a Sentence

Noun

There have been a series of holdups at local banks. a holdup in construction due to the weather

Verb

held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address traffic was held up for miles by the accident

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The sheriff’s office determined the prints, taken from a cup from which the robber drank just before the holdup, didn’t match Clark, the Innocence Project New Orleans said. — Michelle Hunter, nola.com, "Royal Clark Jr. freed after 2003 wrongful conviction in Terrytown armed robbery," 27 June 2019 The holdup was reportedly because the NHL Players’ Assn. — Curtis Zupke, latimes.com, "Kings’ Alex Turcotte and Ducks’ Trevor Zegras are ready to soak in sun and the new rivalry," 21 June 2019 The holdup happened just before 8 p.m. at the Family Dollar on Tuscaloosa Avenue. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al.com, "Man shot by Birmingham police now charged in 4 holdups at Family Dollar stores," 18 June 2019 The Chinese on Thursday ended a months-long holdup of regulatory approval for another deal — a sale by Toshiba of its chip unit to a group led by Bain Capital. — Tory Newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: U.S. businesses worry Trump may strike bad deal with China," 18 May 2018 Police ask that anyone with information about the holdup call the Covington Police Department at 985-892-8500 or contact Detective Bart Ownby at 985-867-6225. — Robert Rhoden, nola.com, "2 masked men rob convenience store in Covington: video," 7 June 2019 The holdup had been in the Senate over Trump’s refusal to consider additional money to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria, which killed an estimated 3,000 people in 2017. — Tal Kopan, SFChronicle.com, "House sends long-stalled California wildfire relief to Trump," 3 June 2019 The holdup over the bill was primarily over the amount of money going to Puerto Rico, which gets more than $900 million in this bill, and whether to allocate money to process migrants at the Mexico border. — Kate Irby, sacbee, "Wildfire relief bill on its way to President Trump’s desk despite Republican ‘no’ votes," 3 June 2019 This is one way of saying the final holdup may be the Trump administration’s apparent reluctance to step on the toes of long-serving government officials who regard global positioning as their baby and see no reason to accommodate a newcomer. — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, "Is Airwave Nimbyism Holding Back 5G?," 7 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Pence accused Democrats of initially denying there was a crisis and said that held up funding to help the situation. — Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, "Vice President Pence to visit border amid outcry over conditions at migrant detention centers," 8 July 2019 Pfizer opted against a long-term human trial to test whether its statistical findings would hold up in real practice, despite urging from some of its researchers, The Post reported. — Washington Post, The Denver Post, "Colorado Alzheimer’s researchers shift focus after failures; begin testing leukemia medicine as treatment," 6 July 2019 Pfizer opted against a long-term human trial to test whether its statistical findings would hold up in real practice, despite urging from some of its researchers, The Post reported. — Christopher Rowland, Washington Post, "Alzheimer’s research is getting a reboot at small companies focused on the immune system," 5 July 2019 Gascón, who championed initiatives like prison realignment and Proposition 47, which reduced many drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, said crime data also should be held up next to the state’s diminishing prison populations. — Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, "California crime reports show killings, youth violence fall again in 2018," 3 July 2019 Ship-owners fear their vessels will be held up at port during an investigation. — The Economist, "The Gulf of Guinea is now the world’s worst piracy hotspot," 29 June 2019 But key questions remain, including whether its results will hold up over the long term and produce value for patients and employers, and whether investors can be convinced of the durability of its business model. — STAT, "Diabetes-coaching startup Livongo files to go public in a test for health tech," 28 June 2019 The Sopranos helped create all of this and The Sopranos holds up. — Jonny Auping, Longreads, "‘TV Has This Really Fraught Relationship with the Audience.’," 25 June 2019 But most experts agree that these claims don’t hold up because the costs are too high. — Eva Kassens-noor, The Conversation, "Italy’s minimal competition to host the 2026 Winter Olympics," 25 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'holdup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.