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

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

Transfers and impact freshmen soaked up most of the offseason conversation about the Big Ten quarterbacks, but after two weeks of action, the league’s holdovers have far outperformed the newcomers. —Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

Nick Bosa is one of the holdovers for a 49ers defense that looks somewhat different this season, especially up front. —Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025

Verb

The case, which the Court has held over for its new term, poses the question of whether creating majority-minority districts may be unconstitutional because the district lines are drawn primarily on the basis of race. —Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

The Kipona Festival is an annual, three-day event held over Labor Day weekend that celebrates the region's Native American heritage. —Charlotte Slovin, ABC News, 2 Sep. 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