1
as in to postpone
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 to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was held up for miles by the accident
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to hamper
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to survive
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to remain
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
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6
as in to fly
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
an argument that won't hold up in court
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as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
a holdup in construction due to the weather
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hold up
Tony East, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Most of the options with this functionality in our list can hold up to 60 days’ worth of debris.
—Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 23 Apr. 2025
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
Another potential holdup in an A’s-to-KC transition: The Kansas City Blues had been the Yankees’ top farm team.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Verb
But Carlisle has done well to always plant one of his stars on the floor this series, and mixed starter-reserve units have held up.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Most of the options with this functionality in our list can hold up to 60 days’ worth of debris.
—Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
Teacher evaluations, one of the last holdups in negotiations, will be adjusted to a three-year cycle for tenured teachers who have been with the district for over 19 years.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
Another potential holdup in an A’s-to-KC transition: The Kansas City Blues had been the Yankees’ top farm team.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold up
Verb
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It will either get postponed, or prepare for the entire group not to make it out of the groupchat.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
29 Apr. 2025
-
But if the alert lasts more than 30 minutes, the screening is postponed.—
Sonya Vseliubska,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The confrontation stopped and restarted as the man appeared to try to get the knife away from Perez over the fence.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
When the American money stopped flowing, the local soup kitchen closed and Ms. Musa went out searching for food.—
Declan Walsh,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The dissatisfaction simmered for years, hampering efforts to combine the automakers fully.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Yes, the cast members who survived Season 1—Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin), Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), and Fred Armisen (Uncle Fester), alongside Ortega’s Wednesday Addams—will all be returning.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
23 Apr. 2025
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Medics rushed the mom to Richmond University Medical Center where she’s expected to survive.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Whether cooking for Hollywood stars or crafting simple dishes for his audience, Arya remained grounded in the belief that true success comes from being real, not manufactured.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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Others have warned that Trump could just ignore the Constitution and simply remain in office, with no clear way to force him out.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Chicago nearly tied it when Edgar Quero flew out to deep right field on a ball Lawrence Butler caught right in front of the wall.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Dark Eagle is designed to fly at speeds exceeding Mach 5, or 3,800 mph, with a reported range of 1,725 miles (2,775 kilometers), sufficient to reach Taiwan from Guam, or NATO's borders with Russia from Western Europe.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Under cost-cutting orders from the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, purchasing cards had been frozen, requiring approvals for all but emergency expenses, which sometimes meant lengthy delays.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Recent disruptions in key trade routes, from commercial shipping issues in the Red Sea to automotive production delays following floods in Europe, have exposed weaknesses in our supply chains.—
Kevin Novak,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Companies like Resource Royalty LLC have made these investments more accessible, particularly for those utilizing 1031 exchanges to defer taxes and diversify their portfolios.—
Fred Hubler,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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The price tag of Black motherhood isn’t just about dollars and cents, but about dreams deferred and choices no one should have to make.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20up. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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