stickup

1 of 2

noun

stick·​up ˈstik-ˌəp 

: a robbery at gunpoint : holdup

stick up

2 of 2

verb

stuck up; sticking up; sticks up

intransitive verb

: to stand upright or on end : protrude

transitive verb

: to rob at gunpoint

Phrases

stick up for

: to speak or act in defense of : support

Examples of stickup in a Sentence

Noun

He pulled out a gun and shouted, “This is a stickup!”.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Man gets 5 years in Cedar Lake robbery A Gary man got 5 years in a plea deal earlier this month for a Cedar Lake stickup. —Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2025

The stickup comes amid a nearly 23% drop in robberies in the Bronx’s 44th Precinct, which saw 135 robberies as of April 27 compared to 175 in the same time period last year, according to NYPD statistics. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 4 May 2025

Verb

In an eyewitness’s final telling of the encounter, Ricardo Delgadillo had been involved in an argument with his older brother over whether Carlos had sufficiently stuck up for him in their youth. —Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Aug. 2025

Republican political commentator Ana Navarro is sticking up for her View family days after President Donald Trump threatened to revoke the citizenship of one the talk show's former moderators, Rosie O'Donnell. —EW.com, 14 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1862, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for stickup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

stickup

1 of 2 noun

stick·​up ˈstik-ˌəp 

: a robbery at gunpoint : holdup

stick up

2 of 2 verb

ˈstik-ˈəp

1

: to stand upright or on end : protrude

2

: to rob at gunpoint