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
The defense has thus far held up despite the attrition, but coordinator Robert Saleh must continue to plug the holes.
—
Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
This will ensure your toiletries are properly proportioned every time, so you won’t get held up at security.
—Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
The reality television alum held up her hand to debut her diamond ring while sitting beside her fiancé.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
All regimes are held up by pillars of support.
—Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
At Stillwater High School, the principle held up.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2025
But the program has been held up by the federal government shutdown.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
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
American shoppers have held up well since the end of the pandemic—to the surprise of some economists.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
This will ensure your toiletries are properly proportioned every time, so you won’t get held up at security.
—Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
The reality television alum held up her hand to debut her diamond ring while sitting beside her fiancé.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
All regimes are held up by pillars of support.
—Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
At Stillwater High School, the principle held up.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2025
But the program has been held up by the federal government shutdown.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
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
American shoppers have held up well since the end of the pandemic—to the surprise of some economists.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Oct. 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
-
This isn’t the first time injuries have hampered Norfleet.—
Chase Gemes,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
-
All of these issues combined have left Target with a workforce that has grown faster than sales and a complex corporate structure that has hampered decision-making and created needless red tape.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Annie Palmer,Frank Holland,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 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
-
But New Delhi remained notably silent on the subject of domestic repression.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
-
After adjustments were made to address this issue, 4o remained incredibly popular.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But the bailout merely delayed the inevitable.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Some 1,902 flights within, into or out of the United States also were delayed on Tuesday, according to FlightAware, along with the 1,210 that had been canceled.—
Kevin Shalvey,
ABC News,
11 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 22 Nov. 2025.
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