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

But as sports like football and basketball grew, horse racing began to tail off in popularity, seen as a holdover from the past. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026

The team also has 2025 holdovers Princely Umanmielen, Thomas Incoom and Trevis Gipson to fill out the outside linebacker depth chart. — Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026

Verb

That ceremony, to be held over two nights on September 5 and 6, is just supposed to be called the Emmys now, as is the following weekend’s main telecast. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 July 2026

This year it was held over MLB All-Star weekend in Philadelphia. — Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 23 July 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