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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Recent Examples of hold out
Families hold out hope Law enforcement agencies, like TBI, offer lists and photos so the public can aid in the search for the missing.
—
Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 29 June 2025
However, those are numbers leaked by Bayern, as internally, Stuttgart is willing to hold out for a significantly higher fee.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Getty Images Overview: NATO holds out its hand to the commercial space sector
NATO’s agreed to open its wallet wider, and space and defense players are likely lining up to benefit.
—Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 27 June 2025
The New York Giants' WR is reportedly holding out for a contract extension.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 29 June 2025
However, those are numbers leaked by Bayern, as internally, Stuttgart is willing to hold out for a significantly higher fee.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Getty Images Overview: NATO holds out its hand to the commercial space sector
NATO’s agreed to open its wallet wider, and space and defense players are likely lining up to benefit.
—Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 27 June 2025
The New York Giants' WR is reportedly holding out for a contract extension.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out
Verb
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To survive, pedal builders are doing something unusual in a competitive business: turning to one another for help.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
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The measure narrowly survived the Senate after a marathon session ended with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote Tuesday.—
Caitlin Yilek
July 1,
CBS News,
1 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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Much of the premature optimism about a settlement earlier this year sprang from the prevailing belief that Ukraine was losing and would soon be forced to negotiate out of desperation.—
Michael Carpenter,
Foreign Affairs,
1 July 2025
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The prevailing viewpoint is that once intelligence begins feeding off other intelligence, a rapid chain reaction will arise.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20out. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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