: a source of mental or emotional difficulty
broadly
: problem
hung up; hanging up; hangs up
1
a
: to place on a hook or hanger designed for the purpose
hang up your coat
b
: to replace (a telephone receiver) on the cradle so that the connection is broken
2
: to keep delayed, suspended, or held up
3
: to cause to stick or snag immovably
the ship was hung up on a sandbar
1
: to break a telephone connection
2
: to become stuck or snagged so as to be immovable
Synonyms
Examples of hang-up in a Sentence
Noun
low self-esteem is only one of his many hang-ups
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Nov. 2024
He’s just got all these thoughts in his head — a map of his own intrusive images, weird hang-ups, and cultural taboos — and he’s got to get them out.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
Joseph Longo, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Longtime ‘Simpsons’ voice actor hangs up her mic Pamela Hayden, who voices Bart Simpson’s friend Milhouse Van Houten, is stepping away from the role after 35 years.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hang-up 
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Noun
Pennsylvania county makes emergency request to extend voting hours
The RNC joined Cambria County, a red county in central Pennsylvania, to ask a judge to extend polling place hours on Tuesday because of long lines caused by ballot processing hang-ups.
—Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Nov. 2024
He’s just got all these thoughts in his head — a map of his own intrusive images, weird hang-ups, and cultural taboos — and he’s got to get them out.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
Verb
Many organizations get hung up on overanalyzing and trying to find the perfect KPIs to measure against.
—Joseph Longo, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Longtime ‘Simpsons’ voice actor hangs up her mic Pamela Hayden, who voices Bart Simpson’s friend Milhouse Van Houten, is stepping away from the role after 35 years.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hang-up
Dictionary Entries Near hang-up
Cite this Entry
“Hang-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang-up. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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