hold up

3 meanings

Meanings
  1. 1 stay strong or in good condition after a difficult time B2
  2. 2 delay someone or something B1
  3. 3 rob a person, bank, or vehicle by threatening violence B2
1 hold up

stay strong or in good condition after a difficult time

B2

What does "hold up" mean in this sense?

Something that 'holds up' continues to be in good condition or works well despite the passage of time, heavy use, or difficult circumstances. It often carries a sense that the result is somewhat impressive or even surprising — you might say a pair of boots has held up well after years of hiking, or that a friendship has held up through years of living in different countries. The phrase can describe physical things like cars or buildings, abstract things like theories or reputations, and even people managing well under pressure. It almost always appears with a modifier such as 'well', 'surprisingly well', or 'pretty well', or with a phrase like 'under pressure' or 'over time' — without one of these, the sentence can feel incomplete. Because of this, 'hold up' in this sense is a natural choice when you want to evaluate something's durability or resilience in a concise way.

Examples

How to use it

subject + hold up + adverb (e.g. well)

The most common pattern — an adverb like 'well', 'remarkably well', or 'surprisingly well' follows the verb to complete the meaning.

The old laptop is holding up surprisingly well given how much I use it.

subject + hold up + under + noun phrase

Use 'under' with a noun like 'pressure', 'stress', or 'scrutiny' to describe the challenging condition something is enduring.

The team's morale has held up well under a lot of pressure this season.

subject + hold up + after/over + time expression

Use 'after' or 'over' with a time reference to highlight how long something has lasted.

Their partnership has held up over twenty years of working together.

how + be + subject + holding up?

This question form is very natural in spoken English when checking on the condition of something or someone.

How is the old sofa holding up? Does it still need replacing?

subject + hold up + better than expected/thought

This pattern emphasises that the result exceeded expectations, reinforcing the sense of pleasant surprise.

The budget held up better than expected after the delays.

Common Collocations

hold up wellhold up under pressurehold up over timehold up after years of usehold up better than expectedstill holding up

Common Mistakes

Using it transitively

In this sense, 'hold up' is intransitive — it never takes a direct object. If you place an object directly after it, you shift into a completely different meaning (delaying or supporting something physically).

✗ The old bridge is holding up the weight well.
✓ The old bridge is holding up well.
Leaving out a modifier

Saying 'it's holding up' with no adverb or qualifying phrase is grammatically possible but often feels too vague or ambiguous. Adding 'well', 'pretty well', or 'under pressure' makes the meaning clear and sounds more natural.

✗ The economy is holding up.
✓ The economy is holding up well despite the difficult conditions.
Confusing with 'hold out'

'Hold out' suggests actively resisting or surviving adversity, like supplies lasting just long enough. 'Hold up' in this sense focuses on remaining in good condition or quality over time — it's more about durability than endurance under siege.

✗ The old car held out well over all those years of daily use.
✓ The old car held up well over all those years of daily use.

Usage

This sense is neutral in register and works in both spoken and written English. It almost always appears with an adverb like 'well' or a phrase like 'under pressure' to complete the meaning — saying just 'it's holding up' without any modifier is possible but less common.

2 hold sb/sth up

delay someone or something

B1

Sense 2: What does "hold sb/sth up" mean?

To hold up something or someone means to cause a delay — to slow down or stop progress that was expected to continue. You might use it when traffic makes you late for work, when bad weather stops a flight from departing, or when a problem pauses a project. The idea is that something gets in the way of forward movement, whether that's a person trying to get somewhere or a process that should be moving forward. It's very common in spoken English, especially in the phrase 'I got held up', which is a natural and casual way to explain why you arrived late.

Examples

How to use it

hold up + object (person/process/event)

The most common active pattern, where something causes a delay to a person, process, or scheduled event.

The roadworks held up traffic for most of the morning.

hold + pronoun + up

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'hold' and 'up' — never after 'up'.

Sorry, I don't want to hold you up — I know you're in a hurry.

be held up by + cause

The passive form is extremely common and is especially useful when you want to explain the reason for a delay.

The delivery was held up by a customs inspection at the border.

get held up (by + cause)

This informal passive pattern is very natural in spoken English, especially when explaining personal lateness.

I got held up in a meeting that ran way over time — sorry I'm late!

hold up + object + by + period of time

Use this pattern to say how long the delay lasted.

The storm held up the construction project by nearly two weeks.

Common Collocations

held up by traffichold up the scheduleheld up at the borderhold up productionheld up by bad weatherhold up progress

Common Mistakes

Pronoun after the particle

When the object is a pronoun like 'me', 'you', 'us', or 'them', it must go between 'hold' and 'up'. Putting it after 'up' is ungrammatical in English.

✗ What held up you for so long?
✓ What held you up for so long?
Confusing 'hold up' with 'hold back'

'Hold up' describes an external obstacle that causes a delay to movement or progress. 'Hold back' usually means to deliberately restrain something or stop it from moving forward — it has a stronger sense of intention or suppression.

✗ The bad weather held back the flight by three hours.
✓ The bad weather held up the flight by three hours.
Forgetting other meanings of 'hold up'

'Hold up' has other meanings in English — for example, it can mean to rob someone, or to stay strong over time. If someone says 'the bank was held up', they mean it was robbed, not delayed. Context usually makes the meaning clear, so pay attention to what kind of object is being used.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English. The passive form 'got held up' is especially common in everyday speech when explaining why you are late.

3 hold sth/sb up

rob a person, bank, or vehicle by threatening violence

B2

Sense 3: What does "hold sth/sb up" mean?

To hold up a place or person means to rob them using threats or force — often with a weapon. The criminal (or criminals) demands money or valuables while threatening the victim. This is the kind of robbery you read about in crime news: a masked person walks into a bank, threatens the staff, and takes the cash. The expression works whether the target is a place (a bank, a post office, a petrol station) or a person (a driver, a cashier). You'll often see it paired with phrases like 'at gunpoint' or 'at knifepoint' to describe how the threat was made. The noun form 'holdup' or 'hold-up' is also widely used — you might hear both the verb and the noun in the same news report.

Examples

How to use it

hold up + place/person

The most common structure: a criminal subject holds up a location or individual as the direct object.

A lone robber held up the jeweller's and escaped with cash and watches.

hold + pronoun + up

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'hold' and 'up' — placing it after 'up' is ungrammatical.

The robbers held him up at knifepoint and demanded his wallet.

hold + object + up

Short noun phrases can also be separated, though the unseparated form tends to be more common with named locations.

They held the security van up before it could reach the depot.

be held up (passive)

The passive is especially natural in news reports and victim accounts, shifting focus to the place or person that was targeted.

The convenience store was held up at gunpoint in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

hold up + object + at gunpoint/knifepoint

These prepositional phrases frequently accompany the verb to specify the type of threat used.

Two men in masks held up the petrol station at gunpoint and fled in a waiting car.

Common Collocations

hold up a bankhold up a storehold up at gunpointhold up a cashierhold up a petrol station

Common Mistakes

Confusing with 'hold up' meaning delay

Because 'hold up' has another common meaning — to delay or obstruct — learners sometimes mix up the two. In the robbery sense, the subject is always a person (a criminal), and the object is the victim or location. If the subject is something like traffic or bad weather, you're looking at a completely different meaning.

✗ The storm held up the post office last night.
✓ Two armed men held up the post office last night.
Pronoun placed after 'up'

When the object is a pronoun like 'him', 'her', or 'them', it must come between 'held' and 'up'. Placing it after the particle produces an ungrammatical sentence.

✗ The gang held up them at knifepoint.
✓ The gang held them up at knifepoint.
Using an inanimate or abstract subject

In the robbery sense, the subject must be a person or group acting as criminals. Using an abstract or inanimate subject will accidentally trigger the 'delay' or 'remain strong' sense instead.

✗ The bad economy held up the bank last year.
✓ Three masked robbers held up the bank last year.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and appears in both news headlines and everyday speech. The noun form 'holdup' or 'hold-up' is also very common: 'There was a hold-up at the bank last night.'

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'hold up' describe a person, or only objects?

It can describe both. You might say 'She's holding up well after a tough few weeks at work' to talk about someone coping emotionally or physically. It works just as naturally for people as it does for things like cars, buildings, or theories.

Can I use 'hold up' to describe an idea or argument staying convincing?

Yes, this is a very common use. For example, 'The original theory still holds up under modern scrutiny' means the theory remains convincing even when examined carefully. It's a natural way to evaluate the strength of reasoning, evidence, or arguments.

Does 'hold up' have other meanings? Could my sentence be misunderstood?

Yes, 'hold up' has several other meanings, including delaying something and robbing someone. However, context usually makes the durability sense clear — particularly because it is intransitive (no object follows it) and almost always appears with words like 'well' or 'under pressure'. A sentence like 'The jacket held up well' would not be misread.

Is the present continuous especially natural with this meaning?

Yes — forms like 'is holding up' and 'are holding up' are very common because they describe an ongoing state of condition. 'How is it holding up?' is a particularly frequent and natural question. The simple past ('it held up well') is also very common for looking back at performance over a period.

Can I use 'hold up' in formal writing?

It works well in neutral contexts like journalism, product reviews, and everyday professional writing. In highly formal or academic writing, alternatives like 'remain durable', 'withstand', or 'prove resilient' might be preferred, but 'hold up' is not considered slang and would not be out of place in most writing.

Can I use 'hold up' in a work email?

Yes, 'hold up' is neutral and works well in semi-formal writing like business emails. For example, you might write 'The supplier delays have held up production this week.' In very formal documents you might prefer 'delay' or 'disrupt', but 'hold up' is perfectly acceptable in most professional contexts.

Is 'got held up' the same as 'was held up'?

'Got held up' and 'was held up' both describe being delayed, and they mean the same thing in this context. 'Got held up' sounds more casual and is very common in spoken English, while 'was held up' is slightly more neutral and works in both speech and writing.

Does 'hold up' always need an object?

In this sense — meaning to cause a delay — yes, something is always being delayed, so there is always an object, even if it's implied. However, 'hold up' has a completely separate meaning where it describes something staying strong or working well over time (e.g. 'The old bridge held up surprisingly well'), and in that case there is no object.

What kinds of things can hold something up?

Common causes of a hold-up include traffic, bad weather, roadworks, technical problems, and bureaucratic processes like customs checks. The object being delayed is usually a person on their way somewhere, or a process like a flight, a project, a delivery, or a meeting.

Is 'a hold-up' related to this phrasal verb?

Yes! The noun 'a hold-up' (written with a hyphen) can mean a delay — for example, 'There was a hold-up on the motorway.' It's a very natural noun form of this phrasal verb and is common in both spoken and written English. Be aware that 'a hold-up' can also mean a robbery, so context matters.

Does 'hold up' always involve a weapon?

Not necessarily — it means robbing someone using threats or violence, and a weapon isn't always explicitly mentioned. However, phrases like 'at gunpoint' or 'at knifepoint' are very common alongside it. The key idea is that the victim is threatened or forced, not just tricked.

Is 'hold up' the same as 'stick up'?

'Stick up' is a close synonym in the robbery sense, and it tends to be more common in American English. In British English, 'hold up' is the more natural choice. Both have the same core meaning: to rob someone using threats.

Can 'hold up' refer to robbing a person in the street, or only buildings like banks?

It works for both. You can hold up a bank, a store, or a petrol station, but you can also hold up an individual — a cashier, a driver, or even a passer-by. The object just needs to be someone or somewhere that is robbed at the point of a threat.

What's the difference between 'hold-up' as a noun and 'hold up' as a verb?

The noun 'holdup' or 'hold-up' refers to the robbery event itself — 'There was a hold-up at the bank.' The verb describes the action — 'They held up the bank.' Both are widely used in everyday speech and news reports, so it's useful to know both forms.

Is it natural to use 'hold up' in the present tense?

It's most natural in past tenses, since robbery events are usually reported after they happen. The simple present does appear in news headlines ('Gang holds up city-centre jeweller's') or when describing habitual criminal behaviour. Describing a single robbery as it happens in real time using the present continuous sounds unusual in most contexts.

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