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A holdup is a delay or something that causes a delay.

It’s frequently used in the phrase What’s the holdup?—meaning “What’s the cause of the delay?”

Holdup can also refer to a kind of robbery, typically in which the robber takes a person’s money by stopping them and threatening them with a weapon, especially a gun. In this sense, a holdup is also called a stickup.

In both cases, the word is sometimes spelled hold-up.

The phrase hold up can be used as a verb meaning to delay, to cause a delay, or to rob someone in a holdup. (It also has several other meanings.)

Example: I asked him what the holdup was, and he told me that he was waiting for the designer to deliver the images.

The first records of holdup come from the 1800s in the United States, where it is primarily used. Both senses of holdup are based on the phrasal verb hold up. When it refers to a robbery, holdup is a reference to the robber’s usual demand for the victim to hold their hands up. (The same thing is true for the very close synonym stickup).

The word holdup is typically applied to robberies in which the victim is an individual person on the street or a clerk at a retail store. Stickup is used in the same way, but it’s even more informal—it sounds more like something out of an old movie.

When holdup is used in the context of a delay, it can refer to the delay itself (as in A lack of drivers is causing a holdup in deliveries) or the thing causing the delay—the thing holding things up (as in We need to find out what the holdup is so we can eliminate it and prevent further delays).

What are some other forms related to holdup?

• hold-up (alternate spelling)
• holdups (plural)

What are some synonyms for holdup?

• delay
• snag
• stickup

What are some words that share a root or word element with holdup?��

• hold
• up
• hold up (verb phrase)
• holdover
• holdout
• hang-up

What are some words that often get used in discussing holdup?

• stop
• process
• progress
• robbery
• traffic

What are some words holdup may be commonly confused with?

• holed up

Holdup is usually used informally. When used in reference to a delay, it sometimes implies annoyance that there is a delay.

Yo @ sweater weather what's the holdup? Stuck in bad traffic or what???
-xoxo Phoenix

— Savannah (@savkra)

Equipment at BOS froze overnight causing a holdup for several flights including yours. We know the delays are frustrating.

— JetBlue (@JetBlue)

"Come on! What's the holdup???"

(Me waiting at the end of the line during a bank robbery)

— Casey Duncan (@caseytduncan)

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Is holdup used correctly in the following sentence?

If you’re late submitting those documents, the holdup will make us miss our deadline.