as in survived
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 held out
Val held out her hand for the pencil.
—
Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
When the time came for Gaff to try a new flavor, one colleague held out a small dish, Logothetti said.
—Nina Giraldo, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Her first trial ended in a mistrial in 1990 after two of the jurors held out for manslaughter charges, citing a lack of intent.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
That means Bell will likely be held out of minicamp, and will likely miss training camp while stashed on the PUP.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
If things continue to progress at the current pace, there’s hope that Hammond, who was cleared to throw in March but held out of spring practice, could be ready for Week 1, according to a source briefed on his recovery.
—Manny Navarro, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Losing hope Some of Blue Hills’ former employees initially held out hope that the nonprofit could reopen once the state finished its audit and lifted the freeze on Blue Hills accounts.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Their postseason has seen a continuation of that hand-grenade-and-horseshoe acumen, though the Kings have held out hope until the bitter end.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
With starter Maverick Baranowski held out, a few of them backed up the praise on Saturday.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
When the time came for Gaff to try a new flavor, one colleague held out a small dish, Logothetti said.
—Nina Giraldo, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Her first trial ended in a mistrial in 1990 after two of the jurors held out for manslaughter charges, citing a lack of intent.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
That means Bell will likely be held out of minicamp, and will likely miss training camp while stashed on the PUP.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
If things continue to progress at the current pace, there’s hope that Hammond, who was cleared to throw in March but held out of spring practice, could be ready for Week 1, according to a source briefed on his recovery.
—Manny Navarro, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Losing hope Some of Blue Hills’ former employees initially held out hope that the nonprofit could reopen once the state finished its audit and lifted the freeze on Blue Hills accounts.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Their postseason has seen a continuation of that hand-grenade-and-horseshoe acumen, though the Kings have held out hope until the bitter end.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
With starter Maverick Baranowski held out, a few of them backed up the praise on Saturday.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held out
Verb
-
He is survived by his wife, Kym, as well as their children and grandchildren.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Last year, she was also impeached by the House but survived by successfully petitioning the Supreme Court to declare the impeachment bid unconstitutional on a technicality.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
That second-inning at-bat lasted three more pitches.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
The Mesozoic era lasted some hundred and eighty-six million years.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
If it can be said that a honeymoon period prevailed following the 2021 agreements, that sense of fellow feeling has long since dissipated.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
11 May 2026
-
New York has prevailed in the first three games of the series against the 76ers by margins of 39, six and 14 points, underscoring their ability to come out on top in a variety of different game scenarios.—
Juan Carlos Blanco,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20out. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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