as in to survive
to continue to operate or to meet one's needs
we hoped our supply of firewood would hold out until power was restored luckily, the old outboard motor held out till we made it to shore
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Recent Examples of hold out
Clooney held out hope that Democratic governors would address the matter with Biden instead.
—
Jake Tapper, New Yorker, 13 May 2025
Instead, many are holding out to purchase a more permanent residence that better suits their long-term needs, marking a generational shift in how younger Americans think about homeownership.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
But the mom-to-be thinks for a moment, then holds out her hand.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 4 May 2025
Faced with losing its largest funder and most powerful member when the U.S. withdrew from the organization in January, Ghebreyesus is pivoting to make a more nimble WHO focused on establishing health independence in developing nations, while holding out hope for talks with President Trump.
—Time Staff, Time, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Jake Tapper, New Yorker, 13 May 2025
Instead, many are holding out to purchase a more permanent residence that better suits their long-term needs, marking a generational shift in how younger Americans think about homeownership.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
But the mom-to-be thinks for a moment, then holds out her hand.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 4 May 2025
Faced with losing its largest funder and most powerful member when the U.S. withdrew from the organization in January, Ghebreyesus is pivoting to make a more nimble WHO focused on establishing health independence in developing nations, while holding out hope for talks with President Trump.
—Time Staff, Time, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out
Verb
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Wisdom is what allows critical care physicians like me not just to recite a definition of pneumonia but to sit with a family in crisis and interpret what that pneumonia means for the life of their loved one, who now needs the ventilator to survive.—
Venktesh Ramnath,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2025
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Having thrived on the continent for 15 million years, pigeons couldn’t survive a mere three centuries of the free market.—
Dan Flores,
Time,
29 May 2025
Verb
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The trial is expected to last several weeks, and Judge Arun Subramanian recently confirmed that the trial will most likely conclude before July 4.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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But earlier this month, Trump called for a cease-fire, prompting fears in Israel that American support for its military campaign might not last.—
Daniel Byman,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Brown is happy the game will be at CSUN instead of in the South Bay, where the previous two finals were played (at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2023 and at Long Beach State last spring when Carson prevailed 1-0 in 14 innings despite Moorman’s 19 strikeouts).—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
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The only question was whether someone else would beat him to it. Somer prevailed.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20out. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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