variants
or hold-up
plural holdups or hold-ups
1
: delay
There was a holdup with my order.
What's the holdup? [=what is the reason for the delay?]
2
: a robbery carried out at gunpoint
held up; holding up; holds up
1
: to rob at gunpoint
3
: to call attention to : single out
his work was held up to ridicule
hold this up as perfection—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
: to continue in the same condition without failing or losing effectiveness or force
she's holding up under the strain
music that holds up twenty years later
Examples of holdup in a Sentence
Noun
There have been a series of holdups at local banks.
a holdup in construction due to the weather
Verb
held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
Recent Examples on the Web
Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
With training camp underway and the regular season opener coming up in less than a month, Kaprizov’s words Thursday might provide fans with hope that holdup is about economics and not environment.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
The defense for Texas has held up its end of the bargain, stopping the run well, allowing one of the lowest rushing yard totals per game in the country.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holdup
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Noun
The Warriors have not established a set role for Kuminga throughout his tenure with the team, which has been at the heart of the holdup this offseason.
—Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
With training camp underway and the regular season opener coming up in less than a month, Kaprizov’s words Thursday might provide fans with hope that holdup is about economics and not environment.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
Before long, one of them held up a piece of metal victoriously.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
The defense for Texas has held up its end of the bargain, stopping the run well, allowing one of the lowest rushing yard totals per game in the country.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holdup
Cite this Entry
“Holdup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdup. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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