HOLE UP Synonyms: 17 Similar and Opposite Words

hole up

verb

Definition of hole up

as in to hide

to remain out of sight we'll hole up in the cellar and wait out the hurricane

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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 hole up Chicago police have ended an hourslong standoff in Logan Square with someone holed up inside a residence that began Monday afternoon and stretched into the overnight hours Tuesday. — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026 The week before Christmas 2025, five mathematicians were holed up in a classroom at ETH Zurich. — Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026 The department also shared photos of an armored vehicle outside the home, where the suspect was holed up for several hours before he was taken into custody. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Once their picks were narrowed to 10 (or 15 for the performers), a group of 500 panelists holed up in the org’s North Hollywood headquarters to watch episodes and choose the eventual nominees. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hole up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hole up

Verb

These elements hide in low concentrations inside lithium ores and salt-lake brines.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
As the nickel cornerback, there’s nowhere for Johnson to hide.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of hide

Verb

Nobody seems to work much, though, the employees are consumed by gossip, crushes, and confusion about their coworkers, superiors, and others who lurk in their building.

— James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
While society pushes forward, there’s no promise that an even deadlier virus isn’t already lurking out of sight.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of lurk

Verb

Even more horrifying than death was the thought of lying there, trapped beneath the rubble, listening to my two-year-old son desperately crying for help.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Just a few kilometers farther downriver lies the Gran Rosario agro-export hub, a sprawling network of ports and processing plants and one of the world's largest agricultural export centers.

— Sebastián López Brach, The Dial, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of lie

Browse Nearby Words

holes up

hole up

holey

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“Hole up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hole%20up. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hole up

verb

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