1
as in remained
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state
the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in waited
to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something
hold on a minute—it's not your turn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of held on
Notably, the latest debate over TikTok coincided with China’s national cybersecurity week, held on Sept 15-21.
—
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
The two-run homer cut into the Royals’ three-run lead, but KC held on to win 8-4 on Tuesday night.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
He was booked at the Florence County Jail, where he is being held on $9,090 bond.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
The memorial will be held on Sunday, September 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Eury Perez tossed five shutout innings as the Miami Marlins held on to beat the Colorado Rockies 6-5 in Denver on Tuesday night.
—Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
In addition to panels and workshops, Industry Connect, the event’s signature one-on-one meetings with industry leaders and experts, will be held on both days.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
The Carlyle branding will begin being featured on the RB21, starting with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku City, with race week beginning on Sept 19 and the race being held on Sunday, September 21.
—Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The two Madison Square Garden shows will be held on March 19 and 20, with the Kia Forum set for February 18 and February 19.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
The two-run homer cut into the Royals’ three-run lead, but KC held on to win 8-4 on Tuesday night.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
He was booked at the Florence County Jail, where he is being held on $9,090 bond.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
The memorial will be held on Sunday, September 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Eury Perez tossed five shutout innings as the Miami Marlins held on to beat the Colorado Rockies 6-5 in Denver on Tuesday night.
—Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
In addition to panels and workshops, Industry Connect, the event’s signature one-on-one meetings with industry leaders and experts, will be held on both days.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
The Carlyle branding will begin being featured on the RB21, starting with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku City, with race week beginning on Sept 19 and the race being held on Sunday, September 21.
—Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The two Madison Square Garden shows will be held on March 19 and 20, with the Kia Forum set for February 18 and February 19.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held on
Verb
-
In 2008, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office reviewed the case in again but investigators made little progress due to the limited physical evidence that remained.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Skelley noted one trend that has remained unchanged is that most independents tend to lean either to the left or the right.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One aspect of the move that will continue to be questioned is why the Cowboys waited until a week before the start of the regular season.—
Jon Machota,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The first lady waited a few seconds before walking the rest of the way up to the top, followed by the president and administration officials.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The search for more potential victims of a mass shooting at a Michigan church continued into Monday, after a gunman killed at least four people while hundreds were worshiping on Sunday morning.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Unfortunately, their defensive struggles continued once again.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The barrage lasted for more than 12 hours, the president said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
-
His sojourn at the hot corner lasted mere seconds.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
India’s defense gradually improved, but his struggles at the plate persisted.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Sep. 2025
-
That figure has doubled since 2019 and is now at its highest-ever level, largely a function of declining office values tied to remote work trends that have persisted since the COVID pandemic.—
Mercury News Editorial,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Held on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20on. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share