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

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

One-time All-Star forward Andrew Wiggins and young guard Davion Mitchell are the two top current holdovers from that trade still on the Heat's roster. —Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

Lombardi didn’t hold back letting UNC’s personnel staffers, a mix of holdovers and new hires, know why. —The Athletic Colleges Staff, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

Verb

The Hoosiers had just scored and led the Buckeyes 7-6 – the first lead Indiana held over Ohio State in a quarter century. —Dana O'Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025

Things changed about two weeks into the occupation of Energodar, when agents of the FSB, Russia’s main intelligence service, began to assert a tighter hold over the town. —Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025

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