to hold up

Examples

• All

• Despite facing intense scrutiny, the theory has held up under examination by experts.

• How are you holding up?

  Strange World (2022)

• But can it hold up to all these claims?

• Hey, how are you holding up, though?

  12 Days with God (2019)

• It's holding up, but go easy.

  F1 (2025)

• And I think, you know, as long as his health holds up, I think he will remain in power.

  Lex Fridman

• We'll then find out if our predictions of the past hold up in the future.

  Academic text (2011)

• Honestly, these front wheels are holding up really well.

• Although this claim was contested for many years, it has held up against repeated tests.

  Academic text (2009)

• On the surface, these policy arguments seem compelling, but they fail to hold up to scrutiny.

  Academic text (2010)

Synonyms

H

to hold

vsto hold up

∞ 1.4

To remain true or valid in a situation

focuses on resisting pressure and criticism rather than general steadiness

S

to stand

vsto hold up

∞ 3.1

To resist harm and continue to exist despite difficulty

emphasizes lasting strength under pressure rather than simple tolerance

W

to withstand

vsto hold up

138 4.2

To resist strong or harmful force without breaking

focuses more widely on staying effective under criticism or use

E

to endure

vsto hold up

46 3.6

To continue to exist for a long time despite problems

stresses active resistance to pressure or criticism rather than mere duration

S

to stand up

vsto hold up

39 3.0

To continue to be correct when people check it

is the broader idea of staying strong under any kind of pressure

H

to hold water

vsto hold up

17 4.9

To make sense and seem believable when checked

is about staying strong under pressure beyond just argument validity

H

to hold out

vsto hold up

6 3.9

To last long enough when supplies or power are low

is about general endurance under stress, not only limited supplies

Antonyms

C

to collapse

645 3.9

To fall down suddenly, for example when a person faints or a building breaks

B

to break down

200 3.2

To stop working because of a problem

How Resilient

to withstand

138 4.2

to survive

∞ 2.7

to hold up

237 3.7

to endure

46 3.6

to cope

286 2.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology