1
as in postpones
to assign to a later time
held up mail delivery until we had a permanent address
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stops
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hampers
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
if lack of transportation is the only thing holding you up, I can give you a ride
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in survives
to continue to operate or to meet one's needs
the air conditioner held up this year, but it's not going to make it through another summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in remains
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state
the storm's hurricane-force winds did not hold up once it hit the coast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in flies
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
an argument that won't hold up in court
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of holds up
Paired with the Country Fried Steak, an 8-ounce beef steak lightly coated, fried, and topped with white gravy, the table has something substantial that holds up as the game stretches on.
—
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
Cumming holds up his iPhone to the camera, proudly boasting about still-unseen looks in all their campy and ridiculous glory.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
This teapot holds up to 32 ounces of liquid.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2026
As wind continues to pound the camp, a wooden pole delicately holds up the tarpaulin keeping him dry.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026
Similarly, Alphabet’s rally can remain on track so long as earnings growth holds up.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
Meyer's vivid descriptions paint a harrowing picture that holds up just as well as the film version's finale scenes.
—USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
New to the service this month is the excellent 1983 adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes, a masterpiece of all-ages horror that still holds up today.
—PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025
Whole milk comes out thick and lush, like the classic cappuccino topping, while oat milk holds up surprisingly well, too—creamy and stable instead of watery.
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
Cumming holds up his iPhone to the camera, proudly boasting about still-unseen looks in all their campy and ridiculous glory.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
This teapot holds up to 32 ounces of liquid.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2026
As wind continues to pound the camp, a wooden pole delicately holds up the tarpaulin keeping him dry.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026
Similarly, Alphabet’s rally can remain on track so long as earnings growth holds up.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
Meyer's vivid descriptions paint a harrowing picture that holds up just as well as the film version's finale scenes.
—USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
New to the service this month is the excellent 1983 adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes, a masterpiece of all-ages horror that still holds up today.
—PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025
Whole milk comes out thick and lush, like the classic cappuccino topping, while oat milk holds up surprisingly well, too—creamy and stable instead of watery.
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds up
Verb
-
At a Friday court hearing for the family’s asylum case, a judge granted a continuance, which postpones the case to a later date, family attorney Danielle Molliver told CNN.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
At best, the push postpones the cross-medium renaissance Hollywood has been predicting for more than 30 years.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
According to the death certificate from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, obtained by Rolling Stone, O’Hara’s immediate cause of death was a pulmonary embolism (a clot that stops blood from flowing to an artery in the lung).—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In between dancing and singing and falling backward in the hands of fellow performers, Bad Bunny stops at what looks like a bar on set to get a drink from none other than Brooklyn’s legendary owner of one of the last surviving Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
What little survives in the form of meteorites is often impossible to locate and collect.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
And, well, whoever else survives the trade and can fill a good role.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Arlington County Police Department announced the news on Thursday following a monthslong criminal investigation that remains active.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
-
At some point, those fuel sources will be exhausted, no further energy will be naturally extracted from what remains within them, and those once-brilliant objects will fade away into darkness.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When a mosquito comes and bites him, the bug immediately tastes the spice in his blood and flies away only to combust moments later.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Five cookline flies and two dishwasher area flies were landing on kitchen walls and shelves.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The association warned that any operational disruption that delays shipments exposes exporters to immediate financial losses and the risk of losing future orders.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Feb. 2026
-
When an airport cancels or delays a flight, that means additional cargo is delayed.—
Terell Bailey,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Should any of these conditions not be met, the contract halts and notifies all relevant parties.—
Matthew Kayser,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Flights at New York City at LaGuardia Airport and JFK faced slight delays and halts Saturday afternoon.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holds up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20up. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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