as in demons
a source of persistent emotional distress
low self-esteem is only one of his many hang-ups
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Recent Examples of hang-ups
Fielder, playing a character but still very much himself, really wants to be a pilot, only to be held back by personal hang-ups.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Big beauty business moguls get skin hang-ups and sensitivities too, and have to work at their skin just like the rest of us to enjoy that celebrity glow.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
But destiny and a magical GPS system have reunited them on a road trip of the soul, on which boy and girl will reconcile themselves with their hang-ups and traumas and, just maybe, learn to love one another.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
House Republicans are still at odds over the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, which has emerged as one of the biggest — and most complicated — hang-ups dogging the party’s megabill.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 14 May 2025
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Big beauty business moguls get skin hang-ups and sensitivities too, and have to work at their skin just like the rest of us to enjoy that celebrity glow.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
But destiny and a magical GPS system have reunited them on a road trip of the soul, on which boy and girl will reconcile themselves with their hang-ups and traumas and, just maybe, learn to love one another.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
House Republicans are still at odds over the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, which has emerged as one of the biggest — and most complicated — hang-ups dogging the party’s megabill.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 14 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hang-ups
demons
Noun
-
Instead of teaching his nephew how to fight, Jake shows Marc what real courage is, facing down his own demons along the way.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
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In the process, Jake shows Marc what real courage is while facing down his own demons.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hang-ups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hang-ups. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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