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• hold-up
  hold-up

  noun

  a robbery, esp an armed one
• hold up
  hold up

  Offer or present as an example, as in The teacher held Bernie's essay up as a model for the class to follow . [c. 1600]

hold-up

British  

noun

1. a robbery, esp an armed one

2. a delay; stoppage

3. an excessive charge; extortion

4. (usually plural) a stocking that is held up by an elasticated top without suspenders

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verb

1. (tr) to delay; hinder

   we were held up by traffic

2. (tr) to keep from falling; support

3. (tr) to stop forcibly or waylay in order to rob, esp using a weapon

4. (tr) to exhibit or present

   he held up his achievements for our admiration

5. (intr) to survive or last

   how are your shoes holding up?

6. bridge to refrain from playing a high card, so delaying the establishment of (a suit)

7. to confess a mistake or misdeed

hold up Idioms  

1. Offer or present as an example, as in The teacher held Bernie's essay up as a model for the class to follow . [c. 1600]

2. Obstruct or delay, as in We were held up in traffic . [c. 1900]

3. Rob, as in He was held up in a dark alley, with no help nearby . This usage, which gave rise to the noun holdup for a robbery, alludes to the robbers' demand that the victims hold their hands high. [Late 1800s]

4. Also, hold out . Continue to function without losing force or effectiveness, endure. For example, We held up through that long bitter winter , or The nurse was able to hold out until someone could relieve her . [Late 1500s]

5. See hold one's head high .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hold-up hold up

Fujimoto, whose great-great-grandparents helped found Chinatown generations ago, said he is confused by the hold-up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

For years, though, there has been a hold-up: The legislation the team said it needed hadn’t passed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

That led to a hold-up of several minutes before the game resumed, with Vinicius then being jeered by the home fans.

From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026

His second assist for Estevao came after some brilliant hold-up play, while he teed up Neto for the second time at the MKM Stadium with a powerful drive into the box.

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026

“Gonna check things out up ahead—see if anyone knows what the hold-up is.”

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

It gives the state a number to point to, a process it can hold up in filings and hearings as proof that vulnerable people are being found and protected.

From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026

The States urged islanders not to attempt to remove nests, which can expand rapidly during August and September and hold up to 2,000 hornets.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Jannik Sinner, if he can hold up, feels like a reliable answer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

But AT&T counters that copper networks can be destroyed in major fire events, do not hold up well to water and take longer to repair.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

She nods at me, and I hold up our list so our parents can see it.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

Related Words

• delay
• detain
• hinder
• impede
• interrupt
• stay
• stop
• suspend