holdover

1 of 2

noun

hold·​over ˈhōld-ˌō-vər 

: one that is held over

hold over

2 of 2

verb

held over; holding over; holds over

intransitive verb

: to continue (as in office) for a prolonged period

transitive verb

1

a

: postpone, defer

b

: to retain in a condition or position from an earlier period

2

: to prolong the engagement of

the film was held over another week

Synonyms of holdover

Verb

• postpone
• delay
• defer
• put over

Examples of holdover in a Sentence

Noun

He is the only holdover from their last championship team.

This policy is a holdover from the previous administration.

Verb

the golf tournament had to be held over until the line of thunderstorms had passed through

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Johnson and Thune are opposed to extending the enhanced ACA subsidies, which many Republicans argue are a holdover from the COVID-19 pandemic that has further fueled the increase in health insurance premiums in recent years. —Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2025

Brown was great, but White and Pritchard, the other main holdovers from the championship team, struggled badly, and sometimes pressed and panicked as the clock ran down and the shots didn’t fall. —Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025

Verb

This year it's being held over two days. —Jessica Riley, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025

But another 30 million euros remain on hold over concerns about fairness and the lack of competition. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1893, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1647, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for holdover

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover
• pullover

Kids Definition

hold over

verb

: to continue beyond a normal or planned time

the movie was held over for three weeks

holdover

ˈhōl-ˌdō-vər

noun

Legal Definition

hold over

intransitive verb

: to remain in a position or condition

one who holds over in possession of a building after the expiration of a term of years

—B. N. Cardozo

holdover noun