HELD ON Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

held on

verb

past tense of hold on

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

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 But from a brand perspective, YSL Beauty took the number-one spot in 2025 and has held on to it since. — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026 The two sides had been due to meet Monday for preliminary discussions for a possible settlement, but Bonta called off the meeting late Sunday, after accusing Paramount of misrepresenting details of an earlier meeting held on Friday. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026 The team didn’t address the position in the draft or free agency, but the organization held on to tackle Cody Ford — who has lost 40 pounds — as a backup while giving him a pay cut. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Ewing cut down another from left field moments later, and the New York Mets held on for a 2-1 victory Monday night. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 Two years after the engagement, the wedding was held on June 6, 2026 at Château Bellefont-Belcier in Saint-Émilion, France. — Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2026 Alba Caño and Amanda Gutierres each scored in the second half to pull Boston (5-10-5) within one, but Portland (10-6-4) held on in the highest-scoring NWSL match of the season. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 Almanza was charged with threatening to commit an act of mass violence on school property and is currently being held on a $1 million bond in the Faulkner County jail. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 4 Aug. 2026 The 15-year-old is being held on suspicion of three counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 28 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held on

Verb

Qantas said demand for international travel remained strong, with both Qantas and its low-cost carrier Jetstar increasing capacity and unit revenue, although higher fuel costs weighed on international earnings.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
The style remained wildly popular into the 1930s and early 1940s, ultimately becoming a wardrobe staple.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of remained

Verb

In the letter, written after Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, Parton congratulated the rapper on the honor and encouraged him to continued creating work that inspires others.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
The pursuit continued through Alvarado, north on I-35W, before ending near the Sam's Club in Burleson.

— S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of continued

Verb

Festivities for the union lasted three days amid celebrations around the country in honor of the pair.

— James Frater, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
So the question now is this war in Iran, of course, hasn't lasted nearly as long as Vietnam, six months versus more than 19 years, hasn't involved the deployment of the kind of forces that LBJ deployed in Vietnam at the peak more than 500,000.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of lasted

Verb

The factors behind the breakdown in trade talks, which persisted throughout last week and into the evening hours on Friday, continue to emerge.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Heap quickly became a mentor to Lane, and their relationship persisted through the wide receiver’s time at USC.

— Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026