hold-up
noun
a robbery, esp an armed one
hold-up
Britishnoun
-
a robbery, esp an armed one
-
a delay; stoppage
-
an excessive charge; extortion
-
(usually plural) a stocking that is held up by an elasticated top without suspenders
verb
-
(tr) to delay; hinder
we were held up by traffic
-
(tr) to keep from falling; support
-
(tr) to stop forcibly or waylay in order to rob, esp using a weapon
-
(tr) to exhibit or present
he held up his achievements for our admiration
-
(intr) to survive or last
how are your shoes holding up?
-
bridge to refrain from playing a high card, so delaying the establishment of (a suit)
-
to confess a mistake or misdeed
hold up
Idioms
-
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]
-
Obstruct or delay, as in We were held up in traffic . [c. 1900]
-
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]
-
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]
-
See hold one's head high .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
It comes after the Labour peer who carried out a review of defence capability last year launched a scathing public attack on the hold-up.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 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
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government, which has steered clear of public criticism of the Trump administration, struck a conciliatory tone on the tech deal hold-up.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
“Gonna check things out up ahead—see if anyone knows what the hold-up is.”
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
After each pitch, the host asks audience members to hold up their paddle, which has a green thumbs up and a red thumbs down to indicate whether they agree or disagree.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Treasurys, will likely hold up if stocks and other assets crash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
It was designed to hold up to around 1,000 people at any one time and for no longer than a legal limit of 24 hours.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Therefore, he thinks offering “a clearer repurchase plan, along with evidence that pricing and margins can hold up as supply grows,” would offer a catalyst for the stock.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
“Hazel, hold up a second. Frank, what’s wrong?”
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
