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

It is praised by online commenters for its traditional cheese enchiladas, puffy tacos and thin, light tortilla chips that are a holdover from El Rancho Grande. —Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026

Matthew McCoy, the sole holdover, slid outside from right guard to right tackle this spring. —Manny Navarro, New York Times, 7 May 2026

Verb

After the earthquake, the surviving ryokan (inn) owners sat down together — competitors, all of them — and held over 100 meetings to decide, collectively, how to rebuild. —Big Think, 7 May 2026

Discussions with local authorities had already been held over holding a victory parade through Barcelona on Tuesday. —Pol Ballús, New York Times, 4 May 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