hold·out
ˈhōld-ˌau̇t 
held out; holding out; holds out
1
: to remain unsubdued or unyielding
… where 30 of the … refugees were still holding out.—
Anna Tomforde
Anna Tomforde
also
: to continue to function or be available : last entry 1
prayed that the engine would hold out
as long as our money holds out
2
: to refuse to go along with others in a concerted action or to come to an agreement
holding out for a shorter workweek
see also hold out on
Examples of holdout in a Sentence
Noun
He says he might be a holdout at the start of the next season if the team doesn't agree to pay him more.
He is expected to end his three-week holdout and join the team tomorrow.
A few holdouts still use typewriters, but nearly everybody uses computers now.
Verb
we hoped our supply of firewood would hold out until power was restored
luckily, the old outboard motor held out till we made it to shore
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The Senate wasn’t smooth sailing either, as leaders went back and forth with the chamber’s parliamentarian over whether key provisions were allowed under Senate rules governing reconciliation and fought to strike deals with Republican holdouts during a marathon overnight session.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 14 Dec. 2025
Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Instead, the players responded by holding their shape on the edge of the box, trying to hold out.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holdout
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Noun
Hopes for political loosening persisted in the stubborn holdouts of China, Iran, and Russia.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The Senate wasn’t smooth sailing either, as leaders went back and forth with the chamber’s parliamentarian over whether key provisions were allowed under Senate rules governing reconciliation and fought to strike deals with Republican holdouts during a marathon overnight session.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 14 Dec. 2025
Verb
Still, Luetzow is holding out in hope that someone will give his family’s hangar a second life.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Instead, the players responded by holding their shape on the edge of the box, trying to hold out.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holdout
Cite this Entry
“Holdout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdout. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
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