as in lurking
to remain out of sight
we'll hole up in the cellar and wait out the hurricane
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Recent Examples of holing up
But after holing up Sunday in his apartment 90 steps from the beach in the historic Zona Romantica, Eure was ready to venture outside.
—
Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Amir and Miri share their memories of holing up in a lightless, airless concrete room with two children under the age of 5, trying desperately to remain quiet.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025
Now teens were holing up in garages across America in an attempt to create their own versions of the Fab Four.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
And at the very least, Damour said, kids won’t get a chance to develop the habit of holing up in their bedroom with their phone and never coming out.
—Rheana Murray, The Atlantic, 11 Aug. 2025
Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Amir and Miri share their memories of holing up in a lightless, airless concrete room with two children under the age of 5, trying desperately to remain quiet.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025
Now teens were holing up in garages across America in an attempt to create their own versions of the Fab Four.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
And at the very least, Damour said, kids won’t get a chance to develop the habit of holing up in their bedroom with their phone and never coming out.
—Rheana Murray, The Atlantic, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holing up
Verb
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Neemias Queta made all three of his field goals in the opening quarter, including a nice turnaround hook shot over Jokic and a last-second alley-oop from Pritchard, whose penchant for buzzer-beaters likely drew Denver’s attention away from the lurking big man.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Though an occasional cellphone or refrigerator does make an appearance, Salvation takes place against an epic, timeless canvas, one filled with torchlit gatherings, solitary figures lurking in caves, and ghostly hallucinations.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The 24-inch Timeless Hardside Spinner by Jessica Simpson is hiding in the clearance section for just $38.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Feb. 2026
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Earlier in 2024, customs agents found Dali hiding in a bathroom in a secure area of the Miami International Airport, prosecutors said.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cohen then turned his attention to the Underwood controversy after Rapaport was accused of suggesting that the Bachelor alum was good at lying, which many interpreted as a reference to Underwood remaining in the closet for a significant portion of his life in the public eye.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
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Officers found a man lying outside; he had been shot in the back, the statement said.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holing%20up. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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