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holding pattern

noun

Definition of holding patternnext
1
as in suspension
a state of temporary inactivity repair work on the bridge was in a holding pattern for the duration of the winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business the couple has been trapped in this holding pattern for six months, as adoption officials create more red tape

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of holding pattern Perhaps the Switch 2 is Nintendo’s holding pattern amidst an industry in peril. — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 A bit like a holding pattern is used for aircraft waiting to land at an overly busy airport. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 July 2026 But the Heat, like all of the teams pursuing James, is essentially in a holding pattern on filling those needs. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026 And that again has created a holding pattern throughout the NBA, hardly the best of timing with the league’s 2026-27 signing period opening at noon Monday. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for holding pattern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding pattern
  1. suspension
  2. delay
  3. suspense
  4. wait
  5. cold storage
Noun
  • The most prominent of those techniques were the use of airbags to land Pathfinder on Mars, as well its Sojourner rover's rocker-bogie suspension system.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Shortly after midnight on Thursday, Kelly imposed a fourteen-day suspension of the ban.
    — Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of suspension
Noun
  • This unique combination maintains all-to-all connectivity while minimizing the typical pitfalls of atom movement, including error accumulation, atom loss, and runtime delays.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Optimization requires visibility from the request through the model and down to utilization, memory pressure, network delay and storage behavior.
    — Anshu Bansal, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of delay
Noun
  • In fiction, spoiler alerts exist to protect the reader experience, premised on the idea that knowing a story’s outcome will reduce momentum and suspense.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • We’re not immersed in any of the procedural’s dangers, its uncertainties, its suspense, its psychic toll.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of suspense
Noun
  • Choose the task that benefits most from your attention and let something less important wait.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 25 Sep. 2026
  • But the highly competitive pricing figures to be worth the wait for current VR headset users and folks who've been intrigued by the Vision Pro but have held off due to the aforementioned drawbacks.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of wait
Noun
  • Frozen and refrigerated goods, such as fresh produce, are most sensitive to price increases because diesel is typically used to power both cold storage and transportation.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Out-of-season fruits and vegetables often log long transit times, sit in cold storage or go through artificial ripening, all of which chip away at flavor and nutrition.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of cold storage

Browse Nearby Words

holding (past)
holding pattern
holding patterns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Holding pattern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20pattern. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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