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

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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

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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 There are ambitious plans for the development of the stadium, with a planning meeting expected to be held on September 16, which should hopefully see those plans take a significant step forward. — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Rituals are held on the final day to pray for the souls of the departed. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 Last year, the Venice amfAR Gala was held on a private island only accessible by water bus, with an after-party on another, more beautiful private Venetian island that was difficult to leave. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 7 Sep. 2026 As the Times report noted, the Met Gala, an extravagant event held in tandem with the Costume Institute’s spring show, is typically held on the first Monday in May. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Alexander Quimbiamba-Albaran, 30, of Waterbury was charged with second-degree breach of peace and was also held on a $500 bond pending an arraignment hearing Monday. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 The draw for the Doubles competitions will be held on September 1. — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held on

Verb

Inflation has remained sticky and above central-bank targets over the past year, making further policy tightening unsurprising, according to the UBS CEO.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Anyway, Evelyn appeared to be listening attentively to Jack, though her eyes remained glued to the stage.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of remained

Verb

The court also said any problems caused by the timing of the ruling is the fault of the secretary of state, who waited eight months before making a decision on the ballot initiative.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Americans for Citizen Voting argued in its application to Kavanaugh that the state had waited more than five months to reject the signatures and then did so on questions about those from a sample of 1,000 out of more than 700,000 submitted.

— Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of waited

Verb

Much of it captures a version of Karrahbooo who was watching her career sit still while the conversation around her continued without her.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026
But armed conflicts between citizens of Missouri and the Kansas territory had started years earlier and continued into the Civil War.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of continued

Verb

The Straw Hat Riots lasted eight days and resulted in arrests, injuries, hospitalizations, and the demise of many, many hats.

— Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 4, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
Authorities stopped vehicles owned by Metur associates 14 times in the back half of August, with reviews of drivers' documents that lasted up to an hour, van Duijnhoven said, and punishments that were inconsistent and severe.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of lasted

Verb

But Brent resumed climbing as conflict persisted, topping $100 per barrel again in July before wavering and then hitting that mark again late Tuesday.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
However, when broken down by race or economic status, for example, gaps emerge between student groups – gaps that have persisted for decades.

— Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026