hole up

verb

holed up; holing up; holes up

intransitive verb

: to hide out in or as if in a hole or cave

transitive verb

: to place in or as if in a refuge or hiding place

Examples of hole up in a Sentence

we'll hole up in the cellar and wait out the hurricane
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And one plot point is an extension of an idea from the original: Iris locks herself in a cabin for years to stay alive, an extreme version of Devon Sawa's Alex holing up in a cabin in the first movie. Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 May 2025 The pair embark on a playdate at a beachfront promenade before holing up in a foreign hotel to evade an increasingly frantic Lee. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 15 May 2025 The departure this week of several Venezuelans who were holed up inside the Argentine embassy in Caracas was touted by the U.S. and Venezuelan opposition as a daring extraction. Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025 Instead of merely making a tent that's as light as possible at the cost of comfort, Durston understands that backpackers and mountaineers will be living in their tent night after night and might very well be holed up for days on end, waiting out dangerous weather and conditions. New Atlas, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for hole up

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of hole up was in 1875

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hole up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hole%20up. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

hole up

verb
: to take shelter in or as if in a hole or cave
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!