hold-up

armed robbery

noun old-UP Rare

Also means

holdup

Usage Note

Hold-up is borrowed directly from English and is invariable in French (plural: des hold-up). It specifically denotes a robbery at gunpoint of a bank or similar institution. The more general word for robbery is le braquage or le vol à main armée.

Examples

"Un hold-up a eu lieu ce matin."

Natural Translation

An armed robbery took place this morning.

Literal Translation

A holdup took place this morning.

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