as in lurking
to remain out of sight
we'll hole up in the cellar and wait out the hurricane
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Recent Examples of holing up
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
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
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The hackers also stole information about diplomatic issues, lurking undetected in some systems for months.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Federal authorities said the man lurking behind the cyclone fence was Routh.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Both teens are hiding secrets; Johnny, a potentially devastating injury and Shannon, a troubled and violent homelife.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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The discovery of unusually warm molecular hydrogen in these LLAGN is a testament to the unexpected complexity hiding in plain sight.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Greenson breaks into Monroe's bedroom and finds the 36-year-old movie star lying naked, lifeless, face down on her bed, still clutching the telephone receiver.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 Feb. 2026
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The poignant image is juxtaposed with flashbacks of them as children lying sweetly next to one another.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holing%20up. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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