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
Udoka already announced Adams and Eason will likely be held out when Houston returns to the floor Wednesday night against Utah.
—
William Guillory, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Heat guards Terry Rozier (strained left hamstring) and Herro (left ankle surgery), and forward Simone Fontecchio (left lower leg tightness) were held out of practice on Tuesday and aren’t expected to play in Wednesday’s preseason game.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Davis, meanwhile, held out hope.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2025
Knueppel was held out of one game early in the six-game tournament as an injury precaution, Lee said.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
However, Philly held out for the win and has now lost only once – against the Washington Commanders back in December – in its past 21 games.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
McAlister returned for the Horned Frogs’ first drive of the third quarter, but was held out for the remainder of the game.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
Two other top-10 selections for the Ducks, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, held out into camp two seasons ago, when the Ducks last made a coaching change.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
But Stanton and Ansari also held out for a funding plan that reverses GOP legislation that is expected to begin cutting access to Medicaid services in 2027, and want to avert the loss of insurance subsidies for lower-income Americans starting in January.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 23 Sep. 2025
William Guillory, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Heat guards Terry Rozier (strained left hamstring) and Herro (left ankle surgery), and forward Simone Fontecchio (left lower leg tightness) were held out of practice on Tuesday and aren’t expected to play in Wednesday’s preseason game.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Davis, meanwhile, held out hope.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2025
Knueppel was held out of one game early in the six-game tournament as an injury precaution, Lee said.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
However, Philly held out for the win and has now lost only once – against the Washington Commanders back in December – in its past 21 games.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
McAlister returned for the Horned Frogs’ first drive of the third quarter, but was held out for the remainder of the game.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
Two other top-10 selections for the Ducks, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, held out into camp two seasons ago, when the Ducks last made a coaching change.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
But Stanton and Ansari also held out for a funding plan that reverses GOP legislation that is expected to begin cutting access to Medicaid services in 2027, and want to avert the loss of insurance subsidies for lower-income Americans starting in January.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held out
Verb
-
His grandfather survived and is still alive.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Jacobs is survived by his son Azazel Jacobs, also a filmmaker, and daughter, artist and musician Nisi Ariana Jacobs.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Gil — last year’s AL Rookie of the Year — lasted just 2 2/3 innings before Boone removed him for lefty Tim Hill with the Yankees down 2-0.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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According to Gach, this kind of play has existed for years and its a reflection of the five-year civil war that lasted in South Sudan until 2018 and the ongoing war in Sudan.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Kissinger visit coincided with the ending of the ban on political parties in Spain, imposed in 1939 after General Franco’s Nationalists prevailed in the Spanish Civil War.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
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Last year, rideshare companies prevailed in court after organized labor challenged Proposition 22, an initiative passed in 2020 that exempted Uber and Lyft from having to classify their drivers as employees and grant them benefits.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Held out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20out. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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