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

Universal also controlled the middle of the chart with its holdovers. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 July 2026

The studio tapped Ana Nogueira to write the script, a holdover from the former DCEU plans for a standalone Supergirl film. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 July 2026

Verb

After 95 games held over four weeks packed with upsets, hydration breaks, and late match comebacks, the stage is set for eight remaining nations to take the pitch in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. — Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 9 July 2026

The museum, opened in 2011, holds over 650 pieces of Art Nouveau jewelry, Art Deco glassware and contemporary crystal. — News Desk, Artforum, 7 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