What is the meaning of held up?

verb

  • Be the physical support of; carry the weight of.
    • usage: "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror"
  • Hold up something as an example; hold up one's achievements for admiration.
  • Cause to be slowed down or delayed.
    • usage: "Traffic was delayed by the bad weather"; "she delayed the work that she didn't want to perform"
  • Rob at gunpoint or by means of some other threat.
  • Continue to live through hardship or adversity.
    • usage: "We went without water and food for 3 days"; "These superstitions survive in the backwaters of America"; "The race car driver lived through several very serious accidents"; "how long can a person last without food and water"
  • Resist or confront with resistance.
    • usage: "The politician defied public opinion"; "The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear"; "The bridge held"
  • Resist or withstand wear, criticism, etc..
    • usage: "Her shoes won't hold up"; "This theory won't hold water"
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APAWordNet. (2010). held up. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/held_up/definitions/1175474
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "held up" http://smartdefine.org/held_up/definitions/1175474 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, held up, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/held_up/definitions/1175474>.
MLAWordNet. "held up" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/held_up/definitions/1175474>