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Definition of hold-up noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hold-up

noun
 
/ˈhəʊld ʌp/
 
/ˈhəʊld ʌp/
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  1. a situation in which something is prevented from happening for a short time synonym delay
    • What's the hold-up?
    • We should finish by tonight, barring hold-ups.
    • (British English) Sorry I'm late. There was a hold-up on the motorway.
    Topics Transport by car or lorryc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • lengthy
    • traffic
    See full entry
  2. (also also informal stick-up especially in North American English)
     an act of stealing from a bank, etc. using a gun
    • a hold-up at the local supermarket
    Topics Crime and punishmentc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • armed
    • bank
    verb + hold-up
    • carry out
    See full entry
  3. hold-ups [plural]
     (British English) stockings that are kept up by having a band of material that can stretch at the top
Check pronunciation: hold-up

Nearby words

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noun
 
 
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