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

The lack of slam-dunk candidates joining the ballot should benefit some of the holdovers. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026

Months after its release, singles from the Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers wound their way up the radio charts alongside alt-rock holdovers and glistening pop ballads. —Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026

Verb

By comparison, the federal Bureau of Prisons currently holds over 153,000 inmates. —Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026

The platform now holds over $500 billion in crypto assets, a figure that grew fivefold in three years. —Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 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