What does holdup mean?
Holdup commonly denotes an unexpected delay or obstruction that prevents traffic, work, or some other activity from moving forward. Expressions such as a traffic holdup or a major holdup often suggest disruption rather than a complete halt. The word also has a more dramatic and potentially violent sense: an armed robbery in which a person is threatened while money or valuables are taken. This meaning is frequently used in news reports and crime descriptions, particularly in North America, where stick-up is a common synonym. Because holdup can refer both to an everyday obstruction and to a dangerous robbery, its use often conveys the sudden interruption of an activity. It is most natural in informal speech and journalism, although the armed-robbery sense is also used in formal accounts of crime. In either sense, holdup is a concise and memorable word for an interruption or takeover.
nounA holdup is a delay that prevents an activity or movement from proceeding. It can also mean an armed robbery in which a victim is threatened with a weapon.
- A delay or obstruction that prevents an activity, journey, or process from progressing.
- An armed robbery in which the victim or victims are threatened with a weapon.
"A broken train caused a two-hour holdup on the commuter line."
"The accident caused a major holdup on the motorway."
"The police are investigating an armed holdup at a convenience store."
The standard plural of the noun is holdups.
"Road closures created several holdups across the city."
From a bank robbery to a traffic jam, holdup captures two very different ways of stopping the world in its tracks.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does holdup come from?
Holdup was formed in English from the phrasal verb hold up, whose uses include delaying, impeding, or stopping movement and stopping a traveler in order to rob them. The compound consequently came to denote both an obstruction and an armed robbery. Hold ultimately derives from Old English haldan, while up comes from Old English upp; forms such as uphold and upholder preserve the same Germanic elements.
How holdup is actually used
The word is generally informal in both British and American English. The delay sense is especially common in British usage, while the robbery sense is strongly established in American crime reporting.
Easily confused with holdup
A holdout delays or obstructs progress, whereas a holdout is a person or group that refuses to cooperate, surrender, or end a protest.