hole up

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 hole up A lot of it was just that — holed up in a house. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 28 Dec. 2025 The man, who was not named, holed up for at least three hours inside the house as sheriff’s deputies waited outside for a SWAT team to arrive. Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025 They were holed up there for nearly a month and stayed largely in their room, staff said Thursday, before returning to Sydney where they are accused of killing 15 people at a beachside Hanukkah event. Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025 Manila — The father and son suspected of carrying out Sunday’s Bondi Beach massacre holed up in a hotel for most of their almost month-long stay in the Philippines in November, rarely left their rooms and dined on fast food, a hotel employee told CNN. Jinky Jorgio, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hole up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hole up
Verb
  • Didn't seem to be hiding anything.
    Sarah Prior, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
  • But hiding behind this benign climate state was all that titanic power flowing through the climate system.
    Adam Frank, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Below-average play is often staring you right in the face while catastrophe lurks around the corner.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • The Italian experimental duo creates a sprawling, overstimulating work that celebrates the kitsch lurking behind a wide array of musical forms.
    H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Andrademembreno’s attorney, Paul Rogers, argued that Berrios lied and pointed to multiple inconsistent statements to authorities and prosecutors and in her testimony.
    City News Service, Oc Register, 25 Jan. 2026
  • When Samantha Browdey’s body is found chained to a cement block, lying at the edge of a lake, detectives not only want to solve the murder but also find the woman’s infant daughter.
    Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hole up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hole%20up. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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