Synonyms of holed up

holed up

verb

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

• hid
• lurked
• lay low
• sat tight
• lay
• reposed
• skulked
• sneaked
• slunk
• avoided
• eluded
• evaded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• appeared
• came out
• turned up
• showed up
• materialized

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of holed up

On March 1, while members of the unit holed up in a bunker amid air sirens, Cody's family said many survivors of the attack and other officers on the ground told them Cody advised Barnes that the unit should remain there, even amid periods of calm. — Jonah Kaplan, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

To me, the most interesting part was when they’re holed up in the mall watching the news. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026

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

While in town, Allen spent all day holed up in his hotel suite writing scripts for future films. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 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

Wareheim — whose surrealist, absurdist work across film and television as an actor, writer, director and producer reshaped contemporary comedy — lately has been holed up at all hours at this sprawling indoor-outdoor compound called Serpentine. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026