1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
as in holding up
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of holding on
Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Tad Smith, the former CEO of Sotheby’s and now partner at 50T Funds, a growth equity firm focused on digital assets, said many wealthy crypto investors are holding on to their bitcoin and other tokens expecting a further run-up in price.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, her hair was trimmed in a shaggy pixie cut; the front just barely holding on to the top of her forehead.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
One of the photos featured Justin sitting in the passenger seat of a car while holding on to Jack's feet, with the toddler standing on his father's lap.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
During their conversation, France speaks about holding on tightly to his little ones.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Howe is still talking about the possibility of holding on to Isak and reintegrating him into the Newcastle squad.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
The Miami secondary settled down in team periods, though, and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was often holding on to the ball or checking it down.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Record levels of burnout — a seven-year high, with 61% of employees reporting at least moderate burnout — suggest many are simply holding on.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Tad Smith, the former CEO of Sotheby’s and now partner at 50T Funds, a growth equity firm focused on digital assets, said many wealthy crypto investors are holding on to their bitcoin and other tokens expecting a further run-up in price.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, her hair was trimmed in a shaggy pixie cut; the front just barely holding on to the top of her forehead.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
One of the photos featured Justin sitting in the passenger seat of a car while holding on to Jack's feet, with the toddler standing on his father's lap.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
During their conversation, France speaks about holding on tightly to his little ones.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Howe is still talking about the possibility of holding on to Isak and reintegrating him into the Newcastle squad.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
The Miami secondary settled down in team periods, though, and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was often holding on to the ball or checking it down.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding on
Verb
-
With exactly 11 minutes remaining, Walker dumped a screen pass off to O’Brien.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Such is life with Damian Lillard gone and with a slew of unproven guards remaining.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The first proposal almost certainly would have been defeated in the courts, while the other sounds like a fiscal disaster waiting to happen.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Look at how McKelway seductively unspooled the facts, waiting, like a poker player, until the last moment to reveal his ace.—
David Grann,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The most popular route covers 13 miles one-way to the Paria River, though ambitious hikers can extend the journey to 21 miles by continuing downstream through Paria Canyon.—
Jacqueline Kehoe,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The title demonstrated unusual longevity, continuing to sell out limited engagements through summer.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Many obstacles remain to a lasting peace — including whether Israel will pull its military entirely out of Gaza, whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza — but the peace plan may already be shifting the debate around calls to ban and boycott culture coming out of Israel.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
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Shapiro gave an emotional public statement Tuesday alongside his wife, state First Lady Lori Shapiro, explaining that the attack has left lasting scars on his family.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20on. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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