# stick up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stick-up
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to point a gun at someone to rob them, or to point upwards from a surface.

For teachers: to rob someone or a place using a weapon; also used intransitively to describe an object protruding upwards from a surface.

## Examples

- The thief tried to stick up the local bank.
- The robbers walked into the jewelry store and told everyone to stay quiet while they stuck up the place.
- The witness testified that the defendant had attempted to stick up the convenience store with a replica firearm before fleeing on foot.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The criminal stuck the bank up." but "The criminal stuck up the bank." — while technically separable, 'stick up' in the sense of robbery almost always keeps the verb and particle together before the object.

## Usage notes

- when meaning to rob, it is transitive and often takes a person or place as the object.
- Teaching tip: distinguish between the literal meaning of protruding (hair sticking up) and the criminal slang; the noun form 'stick-up' is also common in crime fiction.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.