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
Players are held out this time of year due to minor injuries; coaches rotate liberally trying to get a look at all 90 players on the offseason roster, and there are plenty of opportunities still to add more players before Week 1.
—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Chait narrowly averted a three-union strike in April with agreements that restored labor peace — but left critics questioning whether the school system could afford the pact, and whether Carvalho would have held out for a more affordable deal.
—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
Haiti held out for almost two decades before agreeing to reparations but had to borrow money from the French and Americans at interest rates that ensured over the next 120 years, over 80% of the island’s income would go to finance the debt.
—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Having held out to beat Haiti 1-0 in its first game, another win against Morocco would practically guarantee Scotland’s passage through to the knockout rounds.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Center fielder Michael Harris II, who left Tuesday night's game with lower back tightness, was held out of Wednesday's games.
—
CBS News,
18 June 2026
During offseason workouts, Mahomes participated in individual drills, installs and 7-on-7 periods but was held out of 11-on-11 work as a precaution, per Reid’s update.
—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
The experiment was run many times in several variations, and Mischel and others returned to it in longitudinal studies to see how the children who had held out for two marshmallows at age 3 fared at age 13 or 30.
—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Bill stutters an affirmative response that captures every man who has held out irrational hope that a woman will return to him.
—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Chait narrowly averted a three-union strike in April with agreements that restored labor peace — but left critics questioning whether the school system could afford the pact, and whether Carvalho would have held out for a more affordable deal.
—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
Haiti held out for almost two decades before agreeing to reparations but had to borrow money from the French and Americans at interest rates that ensured over the next 120 years, over 80% of the island’s income would go to finance the debt.
—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Having held out to beat Haiti 1-0 in its first game, another win against Morocco would practically guarantee Scotland’s passage through to the knockout rounds.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Center fielder Michael Harris II, who left Tuesday night's game with lower back tightness, was held out of Wednesday's games.
—
CBS News,
18 June 2026
During offseason workouts, Mahomes participated in individual drills, installs and 7-on-7 periods but was held out of 11-on-11 work as a precaution, per Reid’s update.
—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
The experiment was run many times in several variations, and Mischel and others returned to it in longitudinal studies to see how the children who had held out for two marshmallows at age 3 fared at age 13 or 30.
—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Bill stutters an affirmative response that captures every man who has held out irrational hope that a woman will return to him.
—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held out
Verb
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Instead, Chancellor Lee Adams survived, but his mother never regained consciousness after those few hours that first day.
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Twice divorced, Davis is survived by three sons and a daughter.
Verb
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Blackouts have lasted up to 20 hours a day and have restricted access to health services, transportation and education.
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The one moment of genuine conversation between him and Jen this episode lasted about 15 seconds before dissolving, again, into tonsil hockey.
Verb
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Democratic socialist candidates won key races in New York, while more establishment candidates prevailed in other contests.
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The General Assembly prevailed.
Cite this Entry
“Held out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20out. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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