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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

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

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

But the hold-up has triggered more questions from outside.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2025

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

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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

The reserve can hold up to 727 million barrels.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 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

Nanninga said engineers have watched how stainless steel aged over the 100 years it has been in use, and he thinks the material will hold up well in this national exercise of self-storage.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

I hold up six fingers as I walk.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

Related Words

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