hold up

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"hold-up" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hold up” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To wait or delay.

Key facts for hold up
PropertyValue
Headwordhold up
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hold up” sits in English frequency

hold up falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for hold up is 7 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

hold up doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is hold up, spelled H-O-L-D- -U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To wait or delay.
  2. 2
    To impede; detain.
  3. 3
    To impede; detain.
  4. 4
    To support or lift.
  5. 5
    To support or lift.
  6. 6
    To support or lift.
  7. 7
    To persist.
  8. 8
    To persist.
  9. 9
    To persist.
  10. 10
    To persist.

This word in other languages

aguaitar(Español)retenir(Français)warten(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hold up"?
"hold up" is spelled H-O-L-D- -U-P.
What does "hold up" mean?
As a verb, "hold up" means: To wait or delay.
What language does "hold up" come from?
"hold up" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “hold up”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is H-O-L-D- -U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list