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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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 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 Churches and volunteers across the city collected and delivered food to families holed up at home. Jim Morrill, Charlotte Observer, 11 Dec. 2025 Agnes goes to check in on Nora, who’s struggled with depression for years and has recently holed up in her apartment with no contact. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025 The bullet broke her shoulder, went straight through her vitals, and holed up against her hide on the other side. Cheyne Matzenbacher, Outdoor Life, 3 Dec. 2025 While you’re holed up in your new lodgings, enjoy a blissful soak under the rainfall showerhead or take in the view from the glass wall in the bedroom that offers an unobscured view during leaf-peeping season and beyond. Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holed up
lurked
Verb
  • Shackleton began collecting interviews and shot evocative B-roll footage of ghostly California freeways and parking lots where the killer may have once lurked.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Darkness and desperation always lurked behind the gonzo decadence, a dynamic that’s missing on the comparatively bright-eyed Stardust.
    Stephen Kearse, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Holed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holed%20up. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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