hanging on

verb

present participle of hang on
1
as in keeping up

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2
as in holding on

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanging on
  1. keeping up
  2. holding on
  3. carrying on
  4. hanging around
  5. waiting
  6. sticking around
Verb
  • Hilton, a former Fox News host, spent much of the summer barnstorming the state and keeping up a steady stream of media appearances.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Your money buys you less While Americans are technically earning more in dollar terms on average, paychecks are not keeping up with the pace of inflation.
    — Alexandra Meier, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of keeping up
Verb
  • Penn State got good news on the injury front for its wide receiver room, and the Nittany Lions made the most of it early before holding on late for a 28-25 win over Washington at Husky Stadium on Saturday.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Fixed on a mobile rig that will at times careen and whoosh across the stage when not otherwise holding on Winter, Anderson’s camera catches the expressionism and chiaroscuro of stage lights illuminating and fading off the singer’s face.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of holding on
Verb
  • Leo, who took his name from the 19th-century pope whose encyclical on labor laid the foundation of Catholic social teaching, has made the poor and vulnerable a focus of his papacy, carrying on the legacy of his Argentine predecessor, Pope Francis.
    — Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The craft is another important cultural component of his Haida-Tsimshian heritage, and his creations are an act of resistance and cultural preservation—carrying on the work of his grandfather, Jones Yeltatzie.
    — Kate Nelson, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of carrying on
Verb
  • Joe cut his teeth by working his way up the ranks; also maybe by hanging around a lot when dad Jack Buck broadcast for years from most of the sacred citadels of sports.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • When it was finally heard, Jennifer Leeper introduced it and most of the Democratic caucus was either not in the room or hanging around chatting.
    — Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of hanging around
Verb
  • The flexible grant money will allow the organization to initiate projects sooner without waiting for government reimbursements, Morrison-North said.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2026
  • According to a compilation of both ports’ daily rail reports from The Dwell, the Port of Los Angeles had 23,716 import containers waiting for on-dock rail in its Friday report, with 8,172 of them waiting nine days or longer.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of waiting
Verb
  • To ensure a seamless, natural-looking dye job, Monzillo recommends using a little bit of Vaseline on and around your hairline to prevent any color lines from sticking around.
    — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 1 Nov. 2026
  • While rain chances will be back at some point next week (model data isn't in agreement just yet on timing), the pleasant, unseasonably warm afternoon temps look to be sticking around through the middle of November.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of sticking around
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

hanging loose
hanging on
hanging one on
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Cite this Entry

“Hanging on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanging%20on. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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