HOLDING ON Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

holding on 1 of 2

adjective

as in holding up

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Dissimilar Words

holding on

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hold on

as in remaining

to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in waiting

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of holding on

Verb

Fixed on a mobile rig that will at times careen and whoosh across the stage when not otherwise holding on Winter, Anderson’s camera catches the expressionism and chiaroscuro of stage lights illuminating and fading off the singer’s face. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026 Walter didn’t publicly step down from any roles after the stroke, holding on to control of a vast portfolio. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 There’s nothing wrong with holding on to childhood and being a little immature from time to time. — Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026 That puts me in the same boat as many millennials and Gen Zers holding on to the family phone plan, one of their last financial ties to their parents. — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026 Schmidt is currently holding on to the collection, though certain items are expected to be auctioned off to further support Stücke and LSVD+. — Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 Argyle, a quiet community holding on to its rural roots, is at a crossroads with rapid growth and traffic congestion driving the need to widen FM 407, which goes through the town in southern Denton County. — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026 Kaity Schultz's husband, Chris, said the road ahead will be long, but their family is holding on to hope. — Marissa Perlman, CBS News, 27 May 2026 Eveningside’s smaller arms holding on to the chains while Morningside’s longer arms propelled them, her fists and excess joints braced against the ground; their span lengthening, extending and retracting in the girls’ to and fro. — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding on

Verb

The American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group of state legislators and private-sector members, cast it as part of a growing bipartisan movement and urged the remaining states to follow.

— Lara Murray-Sterzel, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Capital One management said that headwind would roughly offset the remaining Discover synergies.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of remaining

Verb

The matter was highly contentious in the community, with residents arriving at Inkster City Hall 90 minutes before the council meeting began and waiting outside to speak during public comment.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
After so much talk leading up to and coming out of the game in Melbourne, Australia, about the Los Angeles Rams waiting until late to fly there — and lost 27-7 to San Francisco — the NFL does not appear close to dictating when teams must travel.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of waiting

Verb

The women’s basketball team recently faced off against the Atlanta Dream in game three of the WNBA Finals, continuing a whirlwind season for the league’s most valuable franchise.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
There is little benefit in continuing to pay for an old version of your life.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of continuing

Verb

Later in the third, Baker led an 11-play, 66-yard drive lasting six-and-a-half minutes that ended with his 2-yard touchdown pass to Bockler.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Electrons move so quickly inside atoms and molecules that studying their behavior requires flashes of light lasting just a fraction of a billionth of a billionth of a second.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026