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
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
Sohail is currently held on $500,000 cash bail or $1 million bond in his state case, and Eisner-Grynberg was asking he be released on bond in the federal case to live with his mother once the state charges are resolved.
—
John Annese, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
Carriers do have contingency plans for this kind of scenario, activating reserve crews held on standby.
—Francesca Street, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
He was held on a $200,000 bond pending an arraignment hearing.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
—Gma Team, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Oman, which has mediated the two rounds of discussions this year, announced that the third round would be held on Thursday in Geneva.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 23 Feb. 2026
Desmond Bane scored 36 points and Paolo Banchero added 16 points and eight assists as the Orlando Magic held on for a 111-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
—CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Clippers lose to Magic Desmond Bane scored 36 points and Paolo Banchero added 16 points and eight assists as the Orlando Magic held on for a 111-109 victory over the Clippers on Sunday night.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Powerball drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
John Annese, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
Carriers do have contingency plans for this kind of scenario, activating reserve crews held on standby.
—Francesca Street, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
He was held on a $200,000 bond pending an arraignment hearing.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
—Gma Team, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Oman, which has mediated the two rounds of discussions this year, announced that the third round would be held on Thursday in Geneva.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 23 Feb. 2026
Desmond Bane scored 36 points and Paolo Banchero added 16 points and eight assists as the Orlando Magic held on for a 111-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
—CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Clippers lose to Magic Desmond Bane scored 36 points and Paolo Banchero added 16 points and eight assists as the Orlando Magic held on for a 111-109 victory over the Clippers on Sunday night.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Powerball drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held on
Verb
-
Back then, the American economy surged as businesses became more productive, unemployment tumbled and inflation remained in check.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Shojinaga has remained behind bars since then, according to jail records.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gaither waited for hours in long lines as the situation grew more uncertain.—
Timia Cobb
Breaking News Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Rodgers ultimately waited until June to join the Steelers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After Mahdawi was released, the government continued efforts to deport him, using the same foreign policy rationale as in Khalil’s case, the AP reported.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
-
All this while attacks on Iran continued, with thousands of strikes reported, leaving upwards of 500 people dead.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Blackouts that once lasted hours now can go on for days.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
An eighth-grader at Maranatha Christian School won the county spelling bee Thursday, beating his closest rival after a one-on-one face-off that lasted 13 rounds.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Perez and immigrant rights groups say these issues have persisted, if not worsened, despite federal inspections conducted under Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s standards.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
And none of them have ever changed the laws or constants of physics in a way that has persisted to the present day.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Held on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20on. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
