holdup

1 of 2

noun

hold·​up ˈhōld-ˌəp How to pronounce holdup (audio)
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

hold up

2 of 2

verb

held up; holding up; holds up

transitive verb

1
: to rob at gunpoint
2
3
: to call attention to : single out
his work was held up to ridicule
hold this up as perfectionThe Times Literary Supplement (London)

intransitive verb

: 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
Noun
The agency has been able to reroute other aid shipments through Port Said in Egypt, but Lazzarini warned Friday that the holdup means further difficulties in the already challenging task of aid distribution to Gaza. Julia Frankel The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 10 Feb. 2024 The holdup here is getting to the point where the inspections can begin. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2024 The latest setback follows years of holdups and budget overruns with the Artemis program. Denise Chow, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2024 The holdup play of our front two (players) can improve. Pat Brennan, The Enquirer, 27 Jan. 2024 Bruce Edward Bell was arrested after the holdup at a bank in Sun Valley, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, on Dec. 21, in which a man pointed what looked like a gun at a worker and stole $60,000 in cash, police said. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024 Daniels and his brother, Akil Daniels, were charged in a spree of armed bank holdups that included the 2011 La Mesa robbery. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2024 Contrary to popular belief, the permitting process — not public buy-in, developer interest, or even political gridlock — is the most common holdup for clean-energy projects. Alina Clough, National Review, 1 Feb. 2024 The strain on the U.S. travel system would lead to more flight delays, longer screening lines and holdups in air travel modernization, according to the group. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 26 Sep. 2023
Verb
One side of the cutting board includes a deep juice groove which can hold up to 3.5 ounces of liquid. Rachael Hogg, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2024 Like Su, his bid for a similar job in the Biden administration was held up in the Senate because of objections from Republicans and a handful of Democrats. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The table is held up on the backs of naked Black men. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 The fee ranges from 10% of unused nights if the reservation is held up to two months or as much as 40% of unused nights if the reservation is held five or more months. Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 Unlike Blunt’s dress though, Pugh’s straps were reinforced by an a hidden second normal strap that held up her dress. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 Tuesday night lows hold up in the upper 30s to mid-40s under partly cloudy skies. Molly Robey, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 Shaw pounced after a firm pass got held up in a back-end bog instead of rolling to goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, also of the Wave. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 This product held up well over six months of home testing without breaking or other issues. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'holdup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1851, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of holdup was in 1837

Dictionary Entries Near holdup

Cite this Entry

“Holdup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdup. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

holdup

1 of 2 noun
hold·​up
1
: a robbery at gunpoint
2

hold up

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)hōl-ˈdəp
1
2
: to rob at gunpoint
3
: to continue without failing or losing effectiveness
holding up under the stress
music that holds up twenty years later

Legal Definition

holdup

1 of 2 noun
hold·​up
: an attempted or completed robbery carried out with the use of force and especially at gunpoint

hold up

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to make the victim of a holdup : rob at gunpoint

More from Merriam-Webster on holdup

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