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
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
Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
At least one northern Minnesota rural senator could still be a holdout on gun bills.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 10 Sep. 2025
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
But Kennedy's surprise could indicate that the team is holding out hope Bregman will stick with his current contract or at least would let the Red Sox know more about his thinking before any decision is made.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holdout
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
However, Starbucks is a holdout for now.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
At least one northern Minnesota rural senator could still be a holdout on gun bills.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
In another clip, the mother and daughter duo held out their arms for an even larger bird, which appears to be a golden eagle.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
But Kennedy's surprise could indicate that the team is holding out hope Bregman will stick with his current contract or at least would let the Red Sox know more about his thinking before any decision is made.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 2025.
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