hold up — rob
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+informaloccasional
To threaten someone, usually with a weapon, in order to steal from them.
Say it like a native
Textbook Two armed men robbed the convenience store.
Native Two men held up the shop.
'Hold up' specifically means rob at gunpoint. 'Robbed' is the general word; 'held up' implies the weapon and threat.
Pattern: hold (someone/something) up
In use
- The store was held up by two masked men last night.crime
- In some cities, small shops are at risk of being held up, especially late at night when there are fewer people around.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They held up to the bank.
✓ They held up the bank.
'Hold up + place/person' directly — no 'to'.
Common collocations
hold up + target— the bank, a shop, the cashier, a petrol station
Don't confuse it
'Hold up' (rob) is about stealing, not about delaying or supporting.
Related
- hold up (delay) — Another meaning of 'hold up' is 'delay'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.