holding pattern
noun
1
: the usually oval course flown (as over an airport) by aircraft awaiting clearance especially to land
2
: a state of waiting or suspended activity or progress
Examples of holding pattern in a Sentence
Our plane was in a holding pattern for almost an hour because of the fog.
repair work on the bridge was in a holding pattern for the duration of the winter
Recent Examples on the Web
Multiple federal agencies trying to implement sweeping changes and reductions sought by the Trump administration have been in a holding pattern as legal challenges make their way through the courts.
—
Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 25 June 2025
Like other economic factors, including capital expenditures and consumer spending levels, employment conditions are in a holding pattern as companies wait to see where U.S. tariff policy lands amid President Trump’s ongoing trade war and his fragile truce with top trading partner China.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 3 June 2025
Normally her social media is overwhelmed by memes about missing home and her mother, two topics weighing on her heart over the seven months she was stuck in a migratory holding pattern in Mexico City, where The Christian Science Monitor first met her.
—Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor, 2 June 2025
East Daley Analytics, an energy infrastructure consultant, claims that the gas market will operate in a cautious holding pattern for the time being.
—Bryce Erickson, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding pattern
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Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 25 June 2025
Like other economic factors, including capital expenditures and consumer spending levels, employment conditions are in a holding pattern as companies wait to see where U.S. tariff policy lands amid President Trump’s ongoing trade war and his fragile truce with top trading partner China.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 3 June 2025
Normally her social media is overwhelmed by memes about missing home and her mother, two topics weighing on her heart over the seven months she was stuck in a migratory holding pattern in Mexico City, where The Christian Science Monitor first met her.
—Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor, 2 June 2025
East Daley Analytics, an energy infrastructure consultant, claims that the gas market will operate in a cautious holding pattern for the time being.
—Bryce Erickson, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding pattern
Cite this Entry
“Holding pattern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holding%20pattern. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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