1
as in keeping up
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2
as in holding on
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanging on
Verb
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Grid bottlenecks hamper Indian renewables growth India’s energy grid isn’t keeping up with a surge in clean power.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025 -
Plus, keeping up with maintenance is the best way to preserve your investment.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Also, Southern California visits Nebraska with both sides holding on for dear life.—
Jordan Mendoza,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
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Record levels of burnout — a seven-year high, with 61% of employees reporting at least moderate burnout — suggest many are simply holding on.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The combustion process can also create new hazards; scientists were surprised to find airborne nanoparticles of hexavalent chromium, the contaminant made famous by the movie Erin Brockovich, hanging around cleanup sites.—
Katharine Gammon,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
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Each point helped stave off the Buffs, who kept hanging around.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Over the weekend, business leaders offered a mix of responses after federal agents shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, revealing yet again how one of America’s most powerful cohorts is — publicly, at least — carrying on with business as usual.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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No redemptive speechifying or cathartic waterworks here, just life carrying on with a slightly heavier tread.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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China, specifically, is not waiting around on solar power.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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As the deep freeze approaches, Crow warned that waiting too long could be costly.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So, plan on this snow sticking around through the end of the month.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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With Pete Golding calling the shots after being promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach, and most of the assistants sticking around, the Rebels blew out Tulane to open the playoff and took down mighty Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Hanging on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanging%20on. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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