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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in flying
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 holding up
Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Brandsema explained that humans are born with one pool of motor neurons for life, and SMA slowly robs individuals of their motor neurons over time, leaving them with difficulty walking or running, holding up their heads, or even swallowing food and liquid safely.
—Ciara McCarthy 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
The long view The expectation of a lower enrollment trend holding up is one of the key factors likely to translate into higher cost estimates as insurers draw up 2027 rates.
—Julie Appleby, CBS News, 19 May 2026
The Home Depot results echo early spring spending data that suggests consumers are still holding up all right — but not evenly.
—Allie Canal, NBC news, 19 May 2026
Barthélémy is beautiful, luminous, committed, and vulnerable — and therefore just about succeeds in holding up Mount Olympus as the only character with interiority across the two-hour running time.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
However, there’s more than wood holding up the Marpole.
—Stefan Ionescu
may 12, New Atlas, 12 May 2026
But another federal agency was apparently holding up the revision.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
The photo shows Belichick, wearing a Code Black shirt and hat covered in roses, and Hudson, still sporting her cheerleading uniform, holding up three fingers for the camera.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
In her classic book Atlas Shrugged, Rand used the Greek myth of Atlas holding up the world as a metaphor.
—Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Brandsema explained that humans are born with one pool of motor neurons for life, and SMA slowly robs individuals of their motor neurons over time, leaving them with difficulty walking or running, holding up their heads, or even swallowing food and liquid safely.
—Ciara McCarthy 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
The long view The expectation of a lower enrollment trend holding up is one of the key factors likely to translate into higher cost estimates as insurers draw up 2027 rates.
—Julie Appleby, CBS News, 19 May 2026
The Home Depot results echo early spring spending data that suggests consumers are still holding up all right — but not evenly.
—Allie Canal, NBC news, 19 May 2026
Barthélémy is beautiful, luminous, committed, and vulnerable — and therefore just about succeeds in holding up Mount Olympus as the only character with interiority across the two-hour running time.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
However, there’s more than wood holding up the Marpole.
—Stefan Ionescu
may 12, New Atlas, 12 May 2026
But another federal agency was apparently holding up the revision.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
The photo shows Belichick, wearing a Code Black shirt and hat covered in roses, and Hudson, still sporting her cheerleading uniform, holding up three fingers for the camera.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding up
Adjective
-
In fact, some are doing little to hide their skepticism – and, in some cases, outright frustration – with the memorandum of understanding, which White House officials hope to spin into a more lasting peace agreement and nuclear accord.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
-
But for a group of children at Maria Fareri, the more lasting memory may be the morning a group of strangers in green and yellow showed up just to cheer for them.—
Mill Etienne,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Today's top stories Vice President Vance is postponing his trip to Switzerland, where he was set to negotiate terms of a peace agreement with Iran.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
19 June 2026
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More women are also postponing children to advance their education or careers, but still go on to have around two kids, on average, in their 30s and 40s.—
David Hickey,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
And the heat’s not stopping anytime soon.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
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Video shows how chase led to deadly crash Instead of stopping, the purple car accelerated and sped through a red light, according to video from Joel’s dashboard camera.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 June 2026
Verb
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Smoke could also make for dangerous driving conditions by impeding visibility.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Wednesday's arrests were part of the 15 charged Tuesday with impeding the work of immigration agents during and after Operation Metro Surge.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The hardliners have emerged with their hands on the levers of power and battlefield command, and their supporters now flood Iran’s streets with daily rallies celebrating a newfound legitimacy forged through surviving the US-Israeli assault.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
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Both parties agreed to repay the money that was borrowed, and the death of one borrower generally does not eliminate the surviving borrower's legal obligation.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Verb
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By spinning off its freight unit, the remaining FedEx is focused on parcel and logistics services, while emphasizing higher-margin end markets.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
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After the top four picks, the remaining 10 lottery teams are slotted in according to their records (meaning that the worst team is guaranteed at least the fifth pick).—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
Verb
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Anthony Maglione was flying from Pittsburgh to Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, via Philadelphia on March 16 and started having issues soon after his first flight.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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Federal prosecutors have said conspirators in the alleged plot discussed flying drones loaded with explosives over the event and then shooting into the fleeing crowd.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
Verb
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And while research shows that exercise supports healthy sleep by regulating body temperature, mood, metabolism and circadian rhythm, Weiner cautions that exercising too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep by delaying sleep onset, shortening sleep duration and lowering overall sleep quality.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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The remaining providers are stretched thin, and patients are traveling farther for care — often delaying prenatal visits or arriving in labor without adequate support.—
Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams,
STAT,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20up. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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