1
as in postponed
to assign to a later time
held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stopped
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hampered
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
if lack of transportation is the only thing holding you up, I can give you a ride
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in survived
to continue to operate or to meet one's needs
the air conditioner held up this year, but it's not going to make it through another summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in remained
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state
the storm's hurricane-force winds did not hold up once it hit the coast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in flew
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
an argument that won't hold up in court
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of held up
Experimental drugs that could help them are being held up while their disorder progresses daily, their dad said.
—
Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Users have confirmed the easy-to-maintain material has held up after multiple trips through the washer and dryer with no pilling.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
American shoppers have held up well since the end of the pandemic—to the surprise of some economists.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
However, consumer spending has held up so far.
—Ana Nicolaci Da Costa, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
There is no porthole, but dents in the wall mark where nails must once have held up maps or schedules, maybe photographs from home, and slotted into a niche in the wall is a small gilt mirror.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
The Huskies’ defense held up well against Ohio State, but the offense wasn’t capable of doing much in a 24-6 loss.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The defense for Texas has held up its end of the bargain, stopping the run well, allowing one of the lowest rushing yard totals per game in the country.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Tkachuk then held up a Miami hockey jersey after announcing his pick.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Users have confirmed the easy-to-maintain material has held up after multiple trips through the washer and dryer with no pilling.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
American shoppers have held up well since the end of the pandemic—to the surprise of some economists.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
However, consumer spending has held up so far.
—Ana Nicolaci Da Costa, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
There is no porthole, but dents in the wall mark where nails must once have held up maps or schedules, maybe photographs from home, and slotted into a niche in the wall is a small gilt mirror.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
The Huskies’ defense held up well against Ohio State, but the offense wasn’t capable of doing much in a 24-6 loss.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The defense for Texas has held up its end of the bargain, stopping the run well, allowing one of the lowest rushing yard totals per game in the country.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Tkachuk then held up a Miami hockey jersey after announcing his pick.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held up
Verb
-
Banijay Entertainment profits were up 5% over the first nine months of this year but today’s financials revealed production on some of the super-indie’s shows have been postponed until next year.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Their return date has been postponed indefinitely, according to state broadcaster CCTV, which offered no further details.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The move comes weeks after Microsoft stopped providing some services to an Israeli defense unit.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
There is no data showing how many of those minors married other minors, and which married adults for recent years, as the state stopped collecting that data in 2022.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Hubbard has been somewhat hampered by injury this season, missing two of his team's eight games.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Just assessing the damage could take weeks, and airport closures have hampered recovery efforts.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Aldo Olivieri, il Gatto Magico (the Magic Cat), who had survived a fractured skull that required drilling to save his life and left him with chronic headaches, became the first-choice goalkeeper.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
He is survived by two other children and his wife.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Lancers remained patient, chipping away until taking a 17-16 lead after three straight OLP errors, including Prior and Charlotte Wickstrand colliding on a ball, which knocked Wickstrand out for the set.—
Tim Meehan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Hundreds of flights were canceled and ferries and fishing boats remained in port as the storm crossed the archipelago.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Republicans refused to pass a funding bill that funded the Affordable Care Act (ACA), while Obama and Democrats pushed back on proposals put forth by GOP lawmakers that would have defunded or delayed it.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Russian state media has acknowledged the Belgorod was also delayed in part by the pandemic.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The film only made $41 million at the box office and effectively halted the franchise.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The family filed a suit contesting their deportation, court records show, and it was briefly halted before a judge ruled against them in July.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
When pirating hindered the shipping of gold to Lisbon, Paraty pivoted to farming sugarcane (the basis of cachaça) and later became one of the earliest hubs for coffee growing in a country that is still the globe’s largest exporter of beans.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
-
At an October debate, Bowman tried to portray Pureval as soft on crime and alleged that unspecified initiatives from City Hall had hindered police from doing their jobs.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Held up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20up. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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