Pronunciation: /hoʊl ʌp/

Definitions of hole up

noun a hollow place in a solid body or surface

Example Sentences

A1 I found a hole up in the tree where a squirrel lives.

A2 The rabbit dug a hole up in the ground to hide from predators.

B1 The soldiers decided to hole up in a cave until the storm passed.

B2 The fugitive managed to hole up in a remote cabin for weeks without being caught.

C1 The spy had to hole up in a safe house until the mission was completed.

C2 The protestors planned to hole up in the government building until their demands were met.

verb to hide or conceal oneself, typically for a prolonged period of time

Example Sentences

A1 During the storm, the family decided to hole up in their basement.

A2 The hikers had to hole up in a cave overnight to escape the bad weather.

B1 After the robbery, the criminals decided to hole up in a remote cabin.

B2 The detective suspected the fugitive was hole up in an abandoned warehouse.

C1 The celebrity decided to hole up in a luxury resort to avoid the paparazzi.

C2 The spy had to hole up in a safe house until the mission was complete.

Examples of hole up in a Sentence

formal The suspect decided to hole up in a remote cabin to avoid capture.

informal Let's hole up in my room and watch movies all day.

slang We should hole up at the beach for the weekend.

figurative After the breakup, she decided to hole up in her apartment and avoid seeing anyone.

Grammatical Forms of hole up

past tense

holed up

plural

hole up

comparative

more holed up

superlative

most holed up

present tense

hole up

future tense

will hole up

perfect tense

have holed up

continuous tense

is holing up

singular

holes up

positive degree

hole up

infinitive

to hole up

gerund

holing up

participle

holed up

Origin and Evolution of hole up

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The term 'hole up' originated from Middle English, where 'hole' referred to a hollow place or cavity, and 'up' indicated a movement towards a higher position or into a more secure location.
Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe seeking refuge or hiding in a secure place, the term 'hole up' has evolved to also imply staying indoors or isolating oneself for an extended period of time.