as in to survive
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hold out
Near the end of the tour, my mother holds out her hand and there are two sets of red earphones.
—
Souvankham Thammavongsa, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
The rest of the teams in the league will report to training camp in the next week, and time will tell if Harris created the standard or became the exception in regards to holding out.
—Nick Harris
july 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2025
Trump again held out a deadline to push Russia into a deal.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
One of San Diego FC’s top players was held out of Saturday’s match due to his uncertain future with the club.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Souvankham Thammavongsa, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
The rest of the teams in the league will report to training camp in the next week, and time will tell if Harris created the standard or became the exception in regards to holding out.
—Nick Harris
july 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2025
Trump again held out a deadline to push Russia into a deal.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
One of San Diego FC’s top players was held out of Saturday’s match due to his uncertain future with the club.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out
Verb
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But to survive, Carlos will have to change… and learn that dignity can matter more than winning.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
15 July 2025
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SpaceX has shifted permanently Pacific Ocean spacecraft recoveries to avoid possible instances of pieces of Dragon's trunk surviving atmospheric reentry and crashing back to Earth, which were reported during some Atlantic Ocean and Gulf returns.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
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The drier conditions are expected to last through Friday before more rain is in the weekend forecast.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Each filter lasts up to 1000 uses and is easy to throw into your hiking backpack for emergencies.—
Anne Taylor,
Travel + Leisure,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Perhaps the only notable shift in Nice’s infamous beach culture is a reduction in toplessness, thanks in part to the prevailing presence of camera phones.—
Sloane Crosley,
Travel + Leisure,
15 July 2025
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Writers who draw on personal stories are often dogged by nonfiction’s prevailing imperative of factual precision.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20out. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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