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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hold up
Bobby Burack Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
The two folding chairs are also lightweight, yet sturdy enough to hold up to 350 pounds.
—
Kate Donovan,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
But there are some potential holdups.
—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Verb
The problem is that her history lesson doesn't hold up.
—
Bobby Burack Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
The two folding chairs are also lightweight, yet sturdy enough to hold up to 350 pounds.
—
Kate Donovan,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
Noun
The city comptroller has launched an investigation into City Hall’s handing of outdoor dining permits, raising concerns about procedural holdups that could be preventing hundreds of restaurants from opening up en plein air seating this spring.
—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
But there are some potential holdups.
—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold up
Verb
-
After a nearly 12 hour meeting, the board opted to postpone changes to the majority of high school social studies curriculum to a later meeting.
-
Advertisement Ann Korchak, board president of owner advocacy group Small Property Owners of New York, said in a statement to the media that the RGB should have postponed the vote until Smyth, the landlord representative, was replaced.
Verb
-
Chisholm scored on Jose Caballero's RBI groundout in the fourth inning before hitting a two-run homer in the sixth as New York ended a three-game losing streak and stopped Detroit's four-game winning streak.
-
Disneyland officials said a cast member immediately stopped the ride.
Verb
-
Brown was hampered by a back injury in college, but that wasn’t enough to scare away the Nets.
-
Investors are advised to avoid ASA, as its future performance appears hampered by both gold's current stagnation and management issues.
Verb
-
Hader survived a laborious outing to strand the bases loaded in the ninth, Paredes tied the game with a solo home run in the eighth and Walker won it with a three-run shot in the 10th.
-
After three days, the chances of someone surviving without water decrease rapidly.
Verb
-
But the fear of being snatched by ICE agents remains, Neel said.
-
The White River remains a big draw, too, though Stephenson notes that public access points along the banks are becoming increasingly scarce.
Verb
-
Those who rely on custom mobility devices still have to fly commercial or find another way to get to the games, and risk damage to their wheelchairs in the process.
-
Last year, Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets (Sunny and Gizmo) were about a month older during the fireworks show and had already grown enough feathers to fly away from the nest.
Noun
-
Earlier, near the Simon Bolivar International Airport — an area also heavily impacted by the quakes — residents complained of delays in resuming rescue operations.
-
After having seen clients with months of delays, recently Akimoto has some clients who filed to renew their DACA protection in April and May and got their approvals within six weeks.
Verb
-
Be aware that many tax strategies merely defer taxes, rather than avoiding them entirely.
-
For consumers and logistics fleets who deferred major purchases out of fear that gas and diesel prices would remain permanently elevated, this stabilization acts as a powerful green light.
Cite this Entry
“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
