hold-up

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A robbery at gunpoint.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

This is a hold-up! Give us all your money.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “hold-up” mean?

A robbery at gunpoint.

Is “hold-up” formal or informal?

hold-up is generally slang.