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
The Nuggets’ fourth-year wing was held out of Friday night’s visit to Milwaukee with a double-ankle sprain — pain in both his left one and right one.
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
In testing, YouTuber JerryRigEverything found that while the Galaxy S23 scratched at a level 6, the S24 and S25 models held out until a level 7.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
He was involved in a car accident on his way to the rink and was held out as a precaution.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
But as Bellinger’s side held out for a seven-year deal, the Mets became engaged.
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Some of his opponents lost quickly, while others held out for up to 30 minutes, but in the end no one was able to beat Wolff — who is a two-time national chess champion.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
He was involved in a car accident on his way to the rink and was held out as a precaution.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Herro, who turns 26 on Tuesday, will miss his second straight game with the rib injury Monday after also being held out of Saturday’s home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Forward John Collins listed as available, but Coach Tyronn Lue said he was held out as a precaution with a soft tissue injury.
—Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
In testing, YouTuber JerryRigEverything found that while the Galaxy S23 scratched at a level 6, the S24 and S25 models held out until a level 7.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
He was involved in a car accident on his way to the rink and was held out as a precaution.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
But as Bellinger’s side held out for a seven-year deal, the Mets became engaged.
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Some of his opponents lost quickly, while others held out for up to 30 minutes, but in the end no one was able to beat Wolff — who is a two-time national chess champion.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
He was involved in a car accident on his way to the rink and was held out as a precaution.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Herro, who turns 26 on Tuesday, will miss his second straight game with the rib injury Monday after also being held out of Saturday’s home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Forward John Collins listed as available, but Coach Tyronn Lue said he was held out as a precaution with a soft tissue injury.
—Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held out
Verb
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The 13-year-old victim, who hasn't been publicly identified, survived after being shot in the chest.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Local reports noted that the woman miraculously survived partly because her helmet helped prevent more serious harm.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His high school career lasted just two games before a broken collarbone ended it prematurely.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
-
This dimming lasted for nine months, before the star returned to its original brightness in May 2025.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Intel — which prevailed in the 1980s after former CEO Andy Grove shifted the company from memory chips to central processing units for personal computers — completely missed that boat.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The United States prevailed, 3-1.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20out. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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