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
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Recent Examples of held on
He's being held on a $150,000 bail.
—
Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Angels held on for a 1-0 victory.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
He was ordered held on a $1,000 cash bond.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
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
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
Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Angels held on for a 1-0 victory.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
He was ordered held on a $1,000 cash bond.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held on
Verb
-
Adam D’Angelo, a founder of Quora, was the sole original member who remained.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Parking in some South Beach garages was $40, but garages and street parking remained open.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Andrej Stojaković’s putback attempt rolled around the rim before coming to a dead stop on the back of the basket as everyone in the massive football stadium held their breath and waited for gravity to make a call.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the only star whose show wasn’t choreographed waited.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Burger continued his hot play going 1 for 4 with an RBI against the Mariners including a clutch two out hit in the sixth inning to give the Rangers the lead.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There is no threat to the public, and operations have continued as normal.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ober lasted four innings for the second straight start, falling behind after a two-out, two-run single by Nick Fortes in the first and a two-out, run-scoring double by Ben Williamson in the fourth.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Company executives worked with banking firm Citizens Bank to oversee the sale process, which lasted four to five months but fell through.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the hardest challenge persisted.—
Annie Vainshtein,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Massive lines at LaGuardia Airport persisted on Thursday.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20on. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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