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
-
The Eurovision Song Contest was going to hold a vote, in November, on not having Israel compete next year, and that vote has now been postponed.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
-
While the company failed to convince Weksler to issue a stay that would have postponed pretrial discovery, a motion for summary judgement is still pending.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On Sunday, Jeanty was stopped for a loss or no gain on four of his 10 runs against light boxes, and overall, the Las Vegas Raiders were stuffed 11 times on 29 attempts — the most of any team in a game this season.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
This was a couple who had never stopped laughing at one another’s jokes, who still held hands like teenagers into their 50s.—
Bee Wilson,
Vogue,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While our study dating back to 1984 found that certain environmental contaminants induce T cells that suppress the immune system, further study on such cells was hampered by an inability in the field at large to isolate and characterize these cells.—
Mitzi Nagarkatti,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
-
An independent review released in September found that Los Angeles County’s emergency response was hampered by outdated technology, staffing shortages and inconsistent evacuation procedures.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
He is survived by Jeannette, Monique, his brother Charles, sister Nancy Salvner, as well as his nieces and nephews, according to the statement shared on his Instagram on Thursday.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
17 Oct. 2025
-
France’s government survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament on Thursday by a thin margin, giving the country a brief respite from intense political turmoil before what is expected to be another brutal battle over its budget.—
Aurelien Breeden,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Yet, they were also entirely removed from most of the brutalities, as the Netherlands remained neutral throughout the war.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The two met while filming The Parent Trap and have remained close ever since.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to the Danville San Ramon, Moseby’s criminal trial has been delayed eight times in recent years as both his attorneys and prosecutors from the district attorney’s office have requested more time to work on the case.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The saga has seen enforcement of the ban-or-sale law delayed multiple times as the app has become a flashpoint in US-China relations.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In 1977, consumer groups petitioned federal regulators to ban the marketing of sugary foods to children, but industry lobbying halted those efforts.—
Alice Callahan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Vought's comments came shortly before a federal judge in California ‒ on the 15th day of the shutdown ‒ halted the administration’s layoffs for now in a case brought by two labor unions.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For years, technological, geographical and financial hurdles impeded wave and tide energy development.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The scandal has already impeded the effort to hold Israel accountable for the death toll in Gaza; the woman fears that anger at Israel might now lead members of the assembly to discount her story and, instead, side with Khan.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Held up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20up. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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