holing up

present participle of hole up
as in lurking
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holing up
Verb
  • Something like that could be lurking for enrollees next year.
    Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The consequences of synthetic content lurking on social media are not hypothetical.
    Ofer Familier, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Verb
  • Pittsboro has neither beaches nor mountains, but don’t count it out as a relaxing getaway just yet; this small town is hiding a Relais & Châteaux inn, restaurant, and spa.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Ligdis called emergency services to report his trespassing while hiding in the laundry room.
    Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • After Malawi earned a red card and dropped to 10 players against Egypt on Saturday, Chinzimu’s deep-lying defensive efforts kept them in the match for a 3-1 victory.
    Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Nobody tries to diagnose their own chest pain by lying still and concentrating harder.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Holing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holing%20up. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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