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

The rookie can come in right away and compete with free-agent addition, Luke Fortner, and 2025 holdover, Nick Samac, for the starting center job in training camp. —Mike Kaye april 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2026

Brashard Smith is the lone holdover from that group, with Walker (free agent), Johnson (fifth-round pick) and Emari Demercado (free agent) all newcomers. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2026

Verb

The draft will be held over three days from Thursday to Saturday, with the footprint split between Point State Park and the North Shore. —Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026

The consternation about Iran, after all, stems from its hold over global oil and energy supplies. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 15 Apr. 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