How to Use holdup in a Sentence

holdup

1 of 2 noun
  • There have been a series of holdups at local banks.
  • What have been the holdups and how far along is that process?
    — Meaghan M. McDermott, USA TODAY, 16 June 2017
  • Flip was injured in the holdup and the wound left a scar on his hand.
    — Paula McMahon, Sun-Sentinel.com, 16 June 2017
  • So, what's the Rockets' holdup?
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The last holdup right now is to bring the pipeline ashore in Italy.
    — Fox News, 12 Aug. 2018
  • But there's a holdup with a new location.
    — Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The good news is that all of these boarding holdups can be avoided.
    — Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
  • The only holdup these days is how fast his body shop crew can convert them.
    — Cheryl Hall, Dallas News, 7 Mar. 2023
  • But there are some potential holdups.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 6 May 2026
  • If the holdup is by the heater core, then that’s one reason why hot air isn’t blowing.
    — Ben Wojdyla, Popular Mechanics, 21 Feb. 2018
  • Why has there been a holdup in Alabama’s use of this new method?
    — Dana G. Smith, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2022
  • That gene, called rplW, seems to be the critical holdup.
    — ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
  • During the holdup, each man was armed with a handgun, Peak said.
    — David Hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, 18 Oct. 2017
  • Fowler attributes some of the holdup in shipping to a change in consumer habits.
    — The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Nov. 2021
  • Based on court records, Medei’s mental health is the major holdup.
    — Rafael Olmeda, Sun-Sentinel.com, 22 June 2018
  • For more on that—and on the reasons for the holdup—read the rest of this article here.
    — Robert Hackett, Fortune, 25 May 2018
  • While the swap of players makes a lot of sense for both teams, the value itself would be the holdup.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The holdup reportedly took about an hour.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The holdup here is getting to the point where the inspections can begin.
    — Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2024
  • During the holdup, Ramirez shot Baez in the head, police said.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 27 July 2024
  • That date has come and gone; the holdup appears to be due to the death of a committee member.
    — Erik Stokstad, Science | AAAS, 20 Nov. 2019
  • Andrade appears to be in good spirits despite the holdup.
    — Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
  • In Freeman’s case, there was no good reason for the holdup, Boudin said.
    — Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, 1 Jan. 2021
  • The holdup in years past was the lack of rim protection that came with Randle at the five.
    — Fred Katz, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
  • The holdup, though, is contractual stuff.
    — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
  • That’s the real holdup with kids Hot Stove Season.
    — Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Manchin has remained a key holdup to the For the People Act for months.
    — Aileen Graef, CNN, 6 June 2021
  • Whose idea was this, and what kinds of settler-colonial relations does this mock holdup invert?
    — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
  • After at least four holdups in a week, the FBI says, the pair got busted.
    — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 3 Oct. 2017
  • Over time, detectives have focused on a robbery crew linked to a string of fast-food holdups that summer.
    — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025

hold up

2 of 2 verb
  • But how well does that claim hold up?
    — Sarah Garone, Health, 30 Jan. 2026
  • But, will that claim hold up in court?
    — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
  • The right idea needs more than charm to hold up.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2026
  • But the fiction has not held up.
    — Donald Moynihan, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
  • His actions have held up thus far.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
  • But that maxim may not hold up this year.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Barrett held up a blank notepad.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • That one held up as the game-winner.
    — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
  • How well did that hold up for those two players?
    — Larry Holder, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
  • The priest held up his hand to silence the crowd.
    — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Yes, and that seems to hold up, at least for Wallen.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 4 Oct. 2025
  • That group held up last week and will be tested again.
    — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Some caves hold up to 1 million bats.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Now, fans there hold up signs handed out by the school.
    — ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Smith nods and holds up a hand, asking for one more minute.
    — Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Some of the caves hold up to 1 million bats.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Then, their leader holds up a hand and bids his charges halt.
    — Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Who knew how the guy would hold up when the cameras were rolling?
    — Howard Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Trump will hold up his right hand and place his left on a Bible.
    — Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The tannins are a bit chewy but will hold up to thick cuts of beef.
    — Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 11 Nov. 2022
  • The Democrats are holding up their pay.
    — Ryan Lucas, NPR, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The unit can hold up to 12 inmates.
    — Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • There, Tate holds up her picture.
    — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026
  • This teapot holds up to 32 ounces of liquid.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2026
  • The dining room can hold up to 30 guests.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026
  • The test is whether the economics hold up at scale.
    — New Atlas, 17 Feb. 2026
  • All regimes are held up by pillars of support.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The bag can hold up to five cards and stretch enough to fit your passport as well.
    — Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The basic trend held up year after year.
    — Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
  • She and Max are held up at gunpoint on that very bad date.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026

Some of 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.

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