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 To write, Rosales went off the grid, holing up in a cabin in the woods. — Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 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
  • In my view, there is an even more insidious danger lurking within our AI use.
    — Keren Yarhi-Milo, Time, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Oh, and there’s still the Kingsley Suamataia situation lurking in the background.
    — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • President Barack Obama had gathered his advisors to assess intelligence that indicated Osama Bin Laden was hiding in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
    — Keren Yarhi-Milo, Time, 8 Nov. 2026
  • San Diego professes pride in high graduation rates, but this is a chimera hiding the sad truth of how far our educational leaders will go to look good.
    — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Across the West, the outlook favors snow in the Rocky Mountains and at higher elevations in California, while depicting valleys and lower-lying areas as less certain.
    — Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Watford said the woman was lying motionless on the floor for about 10 minutes before a housekeeper knocked on the door, the complaint says.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 10 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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