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

Her closet is full of gifted designer pieces, brand-deal holdovers, and fashion-industry gems, meaning her work wardrobe is, frankly, pretty hard to compete with. — Morgan Sullivan, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2026

One holdover from the previous establishment is Nettie’s lasagna ($33), a robust slab of bechamel and noodles smothered in cheese — pure comfort food. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Verb

The film, which had theatrical booking support from Michael Tuckman’s mTuckman Media, opened on a single screen in New York at the IFC Center in April, grossed over $30,000 opening weekend and was held over for 12 weeks. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

His phone holds over 11,000 voice memos, many of them musical ideas. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 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