Definition of holdup
1
:delay
2
:a robbery carried out at gunpoint
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Examples of holdup in a Sentence
There have been a series of holdups at local banks.
a holdup in construction due to the weather
Recent Examples of holdup from the Web
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The holdup came after Cleveland brought Thomas in for a physical exam that raised the team's concerns regarding the health of Thomas' right hip.
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About four hours after the holdup, police found the two men, more than $80,000 in cash and two handguns used in the robbery.
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Police found the boys shortly after the holdup at Kidd Jones hiding behind a restaurant in the 4800 block of Old Bullard Road.
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With a gun pointed in his face, a Chevron gas station clerk cowers as a masked robber grabs a cash register drawer in a pre-dawn holdup in Dania Beach.
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McClure was charged with common law robbery in connection with the holdup of a BB&T branch on Sardis Road North at 4 p.m. Monday.
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The holdup so far has been over cuts to mandatory spending, such as welfare and food stamps, which conservatives want to fast-track by linking to tax reform.
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The Sheriff's Office also arrested two people, Larry Washington, 26, and Brennan Allen, 17, accused in an East Jefferson carjacking spree that included holdups at Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie and Walmart.
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Anyone with information about the holdup or the possible witness is asked by police to call Detective Nick Knight at 985-646-4351 or nknight@slidellpd.com.
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.
First Known Use of holdup
1837
holdup Synonyms
Synonyms
detainment, detention, holdback, holding pattern, delay, waitRelated Words
deferment, deferral, postponement; reprieve, respite; foot-dragging, hesitation, lag, pause, setback, slowdownNear Antonyms
haste, rush; dispatch, promptitude, promptnesshold up
verb
Definition of hold up
transitive verb
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)
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
Examples of hold up in a Sentence
held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
First Known Use of hold up
1851
hold up Synonyms
Synonyms
defer, delay, hold off (on), hold over, postpone, lay over, put off, put over, remit, shelveAntonyms
aid, assist, facilitate, helpRelated Words
suspend; hesitate, pause, stay; detain, retard, slow; extend, lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch (out); waitNear Antonyms
act, deal (with), decide (upon), do, work (on)HOLDUP Defined for English Language Learners
holdup
play
noun
Definition of holdup for English Language Learners
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: a usually brief delay
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: a robbery that is done using a gun
HOLDUP Defined for Kids
Law Dictionary
holdup
noun
hold·up
legal Definition of holdup
:an attempted or completed robbery carried out with the use of force and especially at gunpoint
hold up
transitive verb
legal Definition of hold up
:to make the victim of a holdup :rob at gunpoint
Learn More about holdup
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See words that rhyme with holdup Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for holdup Spanish Central: Translation of holdup Nglish: Translation of holdup for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
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