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
Donald Moynihan, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
In a story published by Politico in January, anonymous sources said that Scott, who was confirmed in his job in June, was holding up progress.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 3 Feb. 2026
Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
Berlin police worked with local and federal law enforcement to investigate the holdup.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Verb
But the fiction has not held up.
—Donald Moynihan, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
In a story published by Politico in January, anonymous sources said that Scott, who was confirmed in his job in June, was holding up progress.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
However, child care providers and early education advocates said educators statewide are anxious because any holdup in payments to states could create funding delays for them.
—Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
Berlin police worked with local and federal law enforcement to investigate the holdup.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold up
Verb
-
Snow cancellations and delays may be nothing new for the Northeast, but this weekend, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida were among the states that have seen big events canceled or postponed due to frigid temperatures.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Israel has repeatedly postponed reopening the crossing, signaling it would not open until the bodies of all the hostages were recovered.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But that didn’t stop her, and a few days later Waller was able to make contact with Huntington-Whiteley through another fashion influencer on Instagram – and the designer coat was successfully acquired.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The officers provided first aid and attempted to stop the bleeding following the shooting, according to the agency.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Such giants have been hampered by worries that their stock prices shot too high and became too expensive following their years-long dominance of the market.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Speaking outside the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, Lemon said his arrest would not hamper his work in the press.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Set in the aftermath of apocalypse, Postscript follows West, who’s been surviving for some time on a yacht with an unknowable Captain off the coast of what turns out to be New England.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Andrews was transported to a hospital for medical treatment and is expected to survive.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Arlington County Police Department announced the news on Thursday following a monthslong criminal investigation that remains active.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
-
These arginine-tyrosine interactions remain active as the fiber solidifies.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
From brushing ice in curling to flying down an ice track headfirst in skeleton, the Winter Olympics are home to some unique and exciting sports that feature uncommon vernacular.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Last November, the PLA Air Force released a video showing a GJ-11 flying alongside and linked with a J-20 stealth fighter.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Should that capacity be limited, with no delay or unpredictability in when a film would move to TVOD and later to SVOD, there is little doubt the theatrical business would be a fraction of its current size by the end of the decade.—
Joseph M. Singer,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The game was the played at the main rink, the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, which faced scrutiny over construction delays.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Courts rule but increasingly defer.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Housing Forward and the city deferred back to their initial statement.—
Chase Rogers,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
