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hole up

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hole up

 (somewhere)

1. to take shelter somewhere. During the blizzard, we holed up in a lean-to made of branches. Looks like bad weather coming. We'd better find a place to hole up.

2. to hide somewhere. The police are looking for me. I need somewhere to hole up. The outlaw holed up in a cave.

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hole up (somewhere)

to stay in a hidden place While writing his book, he holed up for a year in a cabin in the woods.

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hole up

Take refuge or shelter, hide, as in I spent most of the cruise holed up in my cabin. This usage alludes to animals hibernating in winter or hiding from attack in caves or holes. [Late 1800s]

See also: hole, up

hole up

v.

1. To hibernate in or as if in a hole: The weather outside was cold, so the rabbits holed up in their warren.

2. To take refuge in or as if in a hideout: The thieves holed up in a remote cabin until the police stopped looking for them.

See also: hole, up

hole up

in. to hide (somewhere). I just want to hole up until the whole matter is settled.

See also: hole, up