holed up

Definition of holed upnext
past tense of hole up
as in hid
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 holed up Currently, the Connecticut resident has been holed up at home after slipping on the stoop at his old friend Marsha Mason’s house. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026 The idea was hatched during the pandemic, when Kevin and Kyra were holed up together and going stir crazy. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026 Pouya Akhgari, 22, is holed up in a family house with aunts and cousins in a village 200 kilometers (120 miles) from his home in the capital, Tehran. ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026 Klæbo acknowledged that some of his race-winning efforts exhausted him, including one that left him holed up in his hotel room playing video games the day afterward. Nathaniel Herz, NPR, 21 Feb. 2026 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 Churches and volunteers across the city collected and delivered food to families holed up at home. Jim Morrill, Charlotte Observer, 11 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holed up
lurked
Verb
  • The walls disappeared into a forest of trees, where live monkeys and at least one bear lurked behind the trunks.
    Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Boisterous and welcoming, Georgia regaled us with tales from Gary’s childhood, but a concern for her son’s present state lurked not far beneath the surface.
    Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Holed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holed%20up. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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