hole up

verb

holed up; holing up; holes up

intransitive verb

: to hide out in or as if in a hole or cave

transitive verb

: to place in or as if in a refuge or hiding place

Examples of hole up in a Sentence

we'll hole up in the cellar and wait out the hurricane
Recent Examples on the Web Many have holed up in schools, hotels and nightclubs designated as shelters by the Lebanese government. The Week Uk, theweek, 20 Oct. 2024 When recording his ninth solo album, Flow Critical Lucidity, Thurston Moore stayed local, holing up in a London studio near his home in Stoke Newington to lay down tracks. Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Sep. 2024 Edwards is being an impolite host: he’s holed up in a room, eyes locked in on a screen, gamer headphones covering his ears. Sean Gregory, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024 Secret Service agents stationed a few holes up from where Trump was playing golf noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hole up 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hole up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of hole up was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near hole up

Cite this Entry

“Hole up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hole%20up. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hole up

verb
: to take shelter in or as if in a hole or cave

More from Merriam-Webster on hole up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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