: 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
Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
There were also hang-ups at the county level over the sale’s details.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025
Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury is hanging up his gloves — again.
—Danielle Jennings, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hang-up 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
There were some final hang-ups this week over which Palestinian prisoners would be released from Israel’s jails and where they will be sent, as well as the ongoing presence of Israeli troops in the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the entire Gaza-Eqypt border.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
There were also hang-ups at the county level over the sale’s details.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
McCarthy has hung up his boots to join the support team of head coach Shannon Ruth, plugging a gap created by Gary Dicker’s departure in November.
—Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury is hanging up his gloves — again.
—Danielle Jennings, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
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 23 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share