1
as in to remain
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 to wait
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
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Recent Examples of hold on
The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.
—
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 24 Jan. 2026
The Nuggets have often done it by getting to the fourth quarter in one piece, then holding on for dear life.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Inflation and unemployment might break his hold on the public mind.
—Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
As of Friday evening, Clark was being held held on a $1,000 bond.
—Elainie Barraza, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold on
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 24 Jan. 2026
The Nuggets have often done it by getting to the fourth quarter in one piece, then holding on for dear life.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Inflation and unemployment might break his hold on the public mind.
—Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
As of Friday evening, Clark was being held held on a $1,000 bond.
—Elainie Barraza, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold on
Verb
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The find, made by scientists at Waseda University and Tohoku University in Japan, challenges long-standing theories and suggests that the key physical processes operating in the young cosmos remain poorly understood.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Jan. 2026
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Smith then converted at the line with 11 seconds remaining, and Minnesota failed to hit a shot in its next possession.—
Tom Carothers,
Twin Cities,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The groups would then open the hood or door of the machines and wait to determine whether an alarm or a law enforcement response had been triggered.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Interconnection queues have swelled to historic levels, with gigawatts of ready-to-build generation projects waiting years for grid connection studies and upgrades.—
Jon Markman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The agency added that one individual is being questioned as the investigation continues.—
Hunter Geisel,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Democrats could also attempt next week to strip the DHS component from the legislation and fund the rest of the government while the ICE political fight continues to play out.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When compared with other technologies, this actuator operates in a performance range no one had reached before – hydrogels can stretch 40% to 65% but stay below about 11,800 ft-lb per cubic foot.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Jan. 2026
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But there is now no clear path to funding DHS, or the rest of the government, if the funding stays joined after the shooting of Pretti.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The paralytic effect typically lasts for four to six minutes.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The formula is lightweight and lasts all day,, especially when paired with one of the brand’s body creams (Brazilian Bum Bum is our favorite).—
Andrea Navarro,
Glamour,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hold on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20on. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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