hole up
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to stay in a safe place for a long time, often because you are hiding or want to be alone.
to remain in a secure or secluded location for an extended period, typically to avoid discovery or unpleasant conditions.
Simple“The family decided to hole up in a small cabin until the storm passed.”
In context“The fugitives were believed to be holing up in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city while the police searched the downtown area.”
UsageThis is an intransitive phrasal verb and does not take a direct object.
Teacher's tipWhile the literal origin refers to animals in holes, in modern English it almost always refers to people seeking privacy or safety.
the verb 'hole' evokes the image of an animal retreating into a burrow for safety, which helps students remember the sense of hiding or seeking shelter.
From hole + up. Attested from the 19th century.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.