as in surviving
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 out
Maybe the governor was simply ahead of his time, holding out for our lemon pepper wing taste test — only the best from Georgia.
—
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Ubel says some were holding out for lower prices this spring, only to see the price of the most common nitrogen fertilizer, urea, spike close to 30% when Iran shut down shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, halting close to half the world's fertilizer trade.
—Frank Morris, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
The White House is holding out hope for a bipartisan deal on artificial intelligence legislation this year despite Democratic opposition to its framework.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Helman, a product of Texas A&M, seemed surprised when Nimmo was holding out the Rolex before giving him the box.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Not here in Chinatown, but perhaps this place is holding out for something better, something more real.
—Xuan Juliana Wang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Mourinho had seen enough and marched over to Parkinson on the touchline, holding out his hand in a gesture intended to concede defeat.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Child care providers and workers in Michigan are holding out hope for more.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 8 Mar. 2026
The unscripted business has been holding out hope that under Wiseman and Holland, Paramount+ will become another major buyer of reality formats and series to rival the likes of Netflix and the broadcast networks.
—Peter White, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Ubel says some were holding out for lower prices this spring, only to see the price of the most common nitrogen fertilizer, urea, spike close to 30% when Iran shut down shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, halting close to half the world's fertilizer trade.
—Frank Morris, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
The White House is holding out hope for a bipartisan deal on artificial intelligence legislation this year despite Democratic opposition to its framework.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Helman, a product of Texas A&M, seemed surprised when Nimmo was holding out the Rolex before giving him the box.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Not here in Chinatown, but perhaps this place is holding out for something better, something more real.
—Xuan Juliana Wang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Mourinho had seen enough and marched over to Parkinson on the touchline, holding out his hand in a gesture intended to concede defeat.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Child care providers and workers in Michigan are holding out hope for more.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 8 Mar. 2026
The unscripted business has been holding out hope that under Wiseman and Holland, Paramount+ will become another major buyer of reality formats and series to rival the likes of Netflix and the broadcast networks.
—Peter White, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding out
Verb
-
Beating the Soviet Union to the moon made the huge risks acceptable for Apollo, said Charlie Duke, one of only four surviving moonwalkers.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In 2019, Kathy Kleiner Rubin told Rolling Stone about her experience of surviving an attack from Bundy.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The innovation cycle for drones is brief, lasting roughly one week, Kamyshin explained.—
Holly Williams,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Astronauts landed six times from 1969 through 1972, with the longest surface stay lasting 75 hours.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cabin upgrades are available at prevailing rates subject to stateroom availability.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Those factors are the same ones the Department of Labor uses to determine prevailing wage levels.—
Sam Stevenson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If your skin begins looking red or pink, your body may be having a hard time keeping up, a good indicator to take a break in the shade.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
For me, keeping up with bills was never a huge problem.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The resultant device blends fast discharge speeds with massive storage capacity, holding up to 25 times more energy per kilogram than conventional versions.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of deliberately holding up oil supplies -- claims that Zelenskyy denies.—
LORNE COOK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20out. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
