as in keeping up
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in postponing
to assign to a later time
held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in impeding
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 surviving
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 remaining
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 flying
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
an argument that won't hold up in court
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of holding up
Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
Last week, Xi met the leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the China-friendly Kuomintang, which is holding up a $40 billion special defense budget to purchase US weapons.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
They could be seen posing in a field together, holding up a series of sonogram images.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
He was also photographed holding up the heart emoji with his hands — a tribute to his two daughters — while being introduced ahead of the Artemis II takeoff.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
The resultant device blends fast discharge speeds with massive storage capacity, holding up to 25 times more energy per kilogram than conventional versions.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of deliberately holding up oil supplies -- claims that Zelenskyy denies.
—Lorne Cook The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
The company said growing demand for power, supply chain and other issues holding up new power sources and plant outages contributed to the need to keep Comanche 2 open longer than planned.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
This storage rack fits onto most car roof racks, capable of holding up to six pairs of skis or four snowboards.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
In fact, the International Atomic Energy Agency had consistently certified Tehran was holding up its end of the bargain.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
Last week, Xi met the leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the China-friendly Kuomintang, which is holding up a $40 billion special defense budget to purchase US weapons.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
They could be seen posing in a field together, holding up a series of sonogram images.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
He was also photographed holding up the heart emoji with his hands — a tribute to his two daughters — while being introduced ahead of the Artemis II takeoff.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
The resultant device blends fast discharge speeds with massive storage capacity, holding up to 25 times more energy per kilogram than conventional versions.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of deliberately holding up oil supplies -- claims that Zelenskyy denies.
—Lorne Cook The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
The company said growing demand for power, supply chain and other issues holding up new power sources and plant outages contributed to the need to keep Comanche 2 open longer than planned.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
This storage rack fits onto most car roof racks, capable of holding up to six pairs of skis or four snowboards.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding up
Verb
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During emergencies the governor would be able to reshape state regulations, suspend laws and redirect funding, as Newsom did during the COVID-19 pandemic by banning price gouging, halting evictions and postponing the 2020 tax deadline.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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Trump is expected to travel to China in mid-May to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, after postponing the trip because of the Iran war.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Meghan, 44, and Harry, 41, skipped a traditional airport photo op, instead departing in a convoy of vehicles without stopping to pose for the press.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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But with the brief resurgence of the run game, the run-stopping, athletic inside linebacker is a bit more crucial.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In January, Geren notified more than 50 of the 62 Democrats that each owes $9,200 in fines and other charges for impeding the progress of the House by not showing up in the Capitol last August as lawmakers deliberated a plan to overhaul the state's congressional map.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Apr. 2026
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Miller's family members openly accused then-sheriff Marion Joe Russell of impeding the investigation, as Nipp was Russell's nephew.—
Jessie Christopher Smith,
Oklahoman,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Davis reflected on the tragedy of the situation and the trauma inflected on the surviving children.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
His is a work of coming to terms with the odds, surviving them, and doing so with grace, radiance, generosity, and spirit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Parachute pants are making a comeback this spring (as are drop-waist designs), and these lightweight trousers tie both trends together effortlessly while remaining wearable.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
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The reason many of the remaining adults on Medicaid are not working is that they are retired, serving as a caregiver, or too sick, KFF has found.—
Samantha Liss,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Everyone aboard the American Airlines jet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, and the helicopter died when the two aircraft collided.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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During their 2018 trip to Australia, Meghan and Harry arrived to the continent hand-in-hand, touching down after flying in a Qantas private suite to Sydney.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Emergency managers from several states say the funding backlog is having a ripple effect in communities, straining local budgets and delaying or potentially derailing disaster projects that have taken years to plan.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
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At the time, ICE blamed weather conditions for delaying transfers.—
Dennis Valera,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The September 2025 order cleared the way for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to resume broad sweeps in Los Angeles, halting a lower court ruling that restricted ICE's practices.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Israel halting its attacks on Lebanon has been a key condition for Iran war negotiations beginning, the speaker of Iran's parliament has said.—
Sean Conlon,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20up. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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