1
as in to postpone
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 to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to hamper
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to survive
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to remain
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to fly
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
an argument that won't hold up in court
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
a holdup in construction due to the weather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hold up
Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
When the surfaces were wet, Rimkus found the ASB glass court’s slip resistance held up better than that of the NBA hardwood floors.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 4 Feb. 2026
That’s the real holdup with kids Hot Stove Season.
—Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Verb
The White House's rationale White House officials first claimed the funds were held up pending review of the MTA's minority- and women-owned business contracts.
—Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
When the surfaces were wet, Rimkus found the ASB glass court’s slip resistance held up better than that of the NBA hardwood floors.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
Even worse, disaster reimbursement delays, delayed housing repairs, and the holdup of infrastructure rebuilding have fueled anger in the communities that are hardest hit.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 4 Feb. 2026
That’s the real holdup with kids Hot Stove Season.
—Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold up
Verb
-
The judge had postponed her sentencing until after the trial, delaying it further until after Serafini was sentenced.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The union encouraged members to remove personal belongings from the workplace, schedule any medical, dental or vision appointments, refill prescriptions with 90-day supplies and postpone major purchases or financial obligations until an agreement is reached.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Leave the resort to dine at Sunset Mona Lisa, a neighboring cliffside terrace where Mediterranean-leaning plates play second fiddle to the show-stopping tangerine-pink sunsets.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Pavel Zacha had both goals for Boston, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 shots.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Interference from Starlink and other satellites has already become frustratingly routine for astronomers, hampering science as celestial objects are obscured, and the problem is only going to get worse.—
Jonathan O'Callaghan,
Scientific American,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The observations suggest that the dense dusty torus in NGC 6302 may act as a protective shield, allowing frozen carbon dioxide to survive despite the harsh radiation nearby.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
His portrayal of Władysław Szpilman, a real-life Polish Jewish musician who survived the horrors of the Holocaust, is astonishingly raw.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some questions may be adapted into full columns, and transcripts of the chats remain available after each session concludes.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Units remain stretched across the Middle East amid the war with Iran.—
Steven Beynon,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Weatherproofing required The project is currently the only one of its kind flying in Scandinavia.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The Warriors will play at Detroit on Friday, and then fly to Atlanta to take on the Hawks the next day.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Balancing these two extremes, fear that delays and haste that risks reinjury, is key, Webster said.—
Ian McMahan,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The rain again caused multiple delays throughout the mostly gray, sometimes sunny and unseasonably cool day, in the end postponing at least six matches.—
Susan Miller Degnan,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Burroughs said implementing an administrative stay and deferring ruling on the postponement gives both sides time to file briefs on the emergency motion.—
Ubah Ali,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The actress quickly deferred that question to Villeneuve.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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