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
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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
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Recent Examples of held on
The Heat nearly wasted a 15-point second-half lead, but held on in a contest that included 14 lead changes to improve to 2-7 over its last nine games.
—
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Patrick Smith / Getty Images Meanwhile, had a Duke player simply held on to the ball, the Huskies would have been forced to foul because the Blue Devils were not in danger of a 10-second backcourt violation.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
He is being held on a $3 million bond.
—Tony Aiello, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Anaheim ended Buffalo’s seven-game road winning streak when Tage Thompson couldn’t keep in the puck in the Ducks’ zone and Terry held on a 2-on-0 break to score on a backhander.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Bringing the warmth and tradition of this festival to every major city in the world, Chabad is inviting all Jewish residents and visitors to participate in community Seders to be held on April 1 and 2 at locations throughout South Florida.
—Rabbi Moishe Kievman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The 98th Academy Awards were held on Sunday, March 15.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
Inbound flights were held on taxiways away from gates during the investigation.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
He was transported to the Hartford Police Detention Facility where he was charged with murder and interfering with police and was held on $1 million bond, according to Boisvert.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Patrick Smith / Getty Images Meanwhile, had a Duke player simply held on to the ball, the Huskies would have been forced to foul because the Blue Devils were not in danger of a 10-second backcourt violation.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
He is being held on a $3 million bond.
—Tony Aiello, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Anaheim ended Buffalo’s seven-game road winning streak when Tage Thompson couldn’t keep in the puck in the Ducks’ zone and Terry held on a 2-on-0 break to score on a backhander.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Bringing the warmth and tradition of this festival to every major city in the world, Chabad is inviting all Jewish residents and visitors to participate in community Seders to be held on April 1 and 2 at locations throughout South Florida.
—Rabbi Moishe Kievman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The 98th Academy Awards were held on Sunday, March 15.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
Inbound flights were held on taxiways away from gates during the investigation.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
He was transported to the Hartford Police Detention Facility where he was charged with murder and interfering with police and was held on $1 million bond, according to Boisvert.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held on
Verb
-
The unnamed former Global Risk employees remained the linchpin of Broidy’s lawsuit.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
That defense entered the second week of March ranked fourth in the league but remained on a milk carton Sunday.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the morning, lines were long, but not as long as on other days this weekend, when passengers waited four or five hours just to get through security.—
Tara Lynch,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
More patient, the Reds waited until the bottom of the sixth to request a challenge, and proceeded to go a perfect 6 for 6 before the end of regulation.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With the Iran war in its fifth week, attacks in the Middle East continued and there was still no clear end to the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The 6-1 guard continued her hot streak with 18 more points against the Horned Frogs, and that production ended up being the difference.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Since the blockade, virtually everyone on the island has lost power in blackouts that, at one point, lasted 20 hours; three grids have broken down in four months; hospitals have been unable to function.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If the warm pattern that has persisted from the winter into the spring continues, however, the odds of a potentially extreme wildfire season tick up considerably.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Claudia Jordan, who joined a decade later, alleges the culture persisted.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20on. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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