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held over; holding over; holds over
: to continue (as in office) for a prolonged period
Synonyms
Example Sentences
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
Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 30 Jan. 2023
The lone holdover from the previous staff is Shaun Aguano, who went from running backs coach to interim coach but will go back to handling that position group.
—Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 7 Dec. 2022
The holdover was welcome news to residents of Church Street East, who asked for a delay during the meeting.
—Margaret Kates | Mkates@al.com, al, 21 Aug. 2022
The lone holdover from last year’s starting defensive line Sunday for the 49ers will be Arik Armstead, who signed a five-year, $85 million extension in March after a career-best 10 sacks last season.
—Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, 12 Dec. 2020
In some ways, AMC Networks is a holdover from an earlier media age.
—Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2022
This death benefit is a holdover from the very earliest days of the Social Security program.
—Tom Margenau, Dallas News, 26 June 2022
As another holdover from the halcyon days of COVID-19, part of the culprit for the shortage came courtesy of rental companies selling off their fleets back in 2020.
—Grace L. Williams, Forbes, 25 July 2022
Analysis: Hill had a stronger camp than holdover Dexter Williams and free agent Patrick Taylor and figures to be No. 3.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 29 Aug. 2021
Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2023
Disney's Frozen entered our lives almost a decade ago, but its hold over its fans certainly has not waned with time.
—Cassidy Olsen And Jamie Spain, Good Housekeeping, 4 Dec. 2022
His hold on the party elite seems unassailable; his hold over parts of society, especially the young, seems less sure.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022
Disney’s franchise power helps the company maintain its hold over subscribers, despite price increases, adds Peter Csathy, chair of advisory firm Creative Media.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Nov. 2022
Several of the ice makers on sale today start pumping out ice cubes in less than ten minutes, and most can hold over 20 pounds of ice at a time.
—Amber Joglar, Popular Mechanics, 27 Dec. 2022
Warned his staying in the race would wreck not only the Republican hold over the Electoral College but also the foundation of the entire political system whose peripheries already called for revolution, Roosevelt accepted the bargain.
—Time, 15 Nov. 2022
And, as the Nixon story shows, Hoover’s crepuscular hold over Presidents was tenacious.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2022
Throughout the week, employees described an anxious wait for the final word on their job status as an information vacuum took hold over the company of 7,500.
—Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2022
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Noun
According to Social Security Administration, which officially follows the ins and outs of such matters, every name in 2021's top ten list of most popular baby girl names was a holdover from 2020.
—Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 30 Jan. 2023
The lone holdover from the previous staff is Shaun Aguano, who went from running backs coach to interim coach but will go back to handling that position group.
—Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 7 Dec. 2022
The holdover was welcome news to residents of Church Street East, who asked for a delay during the meeting.
—Margaret Kates | Mkates@al.com, al, 21 Aug. 2022
The lone holdover from last year’s starting defensive line Sunday for the 49ers will be Arik Armstead, who signed a five-year, $85 million extension in March after a career-best 10 sacks last season.
—Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, 12 Dec. 2020
In some ways, AMC Networks is a holdover from an earlier media age.
—Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2022
This death benefit is a holdover from the very earliest days of the Social Security program.
—Tom Margenau, Dallas News, 26 June 2022
As another holdover from the halcyon days of COVID-19, part of the culprit for the shortage came courtesy of rental companies selling off their fleets back in 2020.
—Grace L. Williams, Forbes, 25 July 2022
Analysis: Hill had a stronger camp than holdover Dexter Williams and free agent Patrick Taylor and figures to be No. 3.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 29 Aug. 2021
Verb
He wasn’t forsaken in his quest, but his dream came at a humiliating cost that called into question his hold over the party.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2023
Disney's Frozen entered our lives almost a decade ago, but its hold over its fans certainly has not waned with time.
—Cassidy Olsen And Jamie Spain, Good Housekeeping, 4 Dec. 2022
His hold on the party elite seems unassailable; his hold over parts of society, especially the young, seems less sure.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022
Disney’s franchise power helps the company maintain its hold over subscribers, despite price increases, adds Peter Csathy, chair of advisory firm Creative Media.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Nov. 2022
Several of the ice makers on sale today start pumping out ice cubes in less than ten minutes, and most can hold over 20 pounds of ice at a time.
—Amber Joglar, Popular Mechanics, 27 Dec. 2022
Warned his staying in the race would wreck not only the Republican hold over the Electoral College but also the foundation of the entire political system whose peripheries already called for revolution, Roosevelt accepted the bargain.
—Time, 15 Nov. 2022
And, as the Nixon story shows, Hoover’s crepuscular hold over Presidents was tenacious.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2022
Throughout the week, employees described an anxious wait for the final word on their job status as an information vacuum took hold over the company of 7,500.
—Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'holdover.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1893, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1647, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Dictionary Entries Near holdover
Cite this Entry
“Holdover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdover. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.
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