Pronunciation change

Expression change

Expression
hold up

  1. (transitive) If you hold someone up, you stop them from doing something.
    I've got to be to work now. Why are you holding me up?
  2. (idiomatic) If you hold up a promise, you fulfil it.
    I don't think he's holding up his end of the bargain.
  3. (idiomatic) If you hold up a store, you rob it at gunpoint.
    The guy tried to hold up a bank.