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

As a result, food has been an afterthought for many shoppers, tacked on to the end of their Target runs or a holdover in between their main grocery trips. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026

The prevailing idea is that summer break is a holdover from days when children were needed to help out on farms in rural communities. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026

Verb

Egypt’s Theban necropolis holds over 400 tombs, a rich resource for archaeologists eager to learn more about that region’s ancient history. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

There are more than 300 such foundations across the country, holding over $40 billion in assets, according to Grantmakers In Health (paywall). — Laura MacDonald, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

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