HOLDING OUT Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

holding out

verb

present participle of hold out

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

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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 Brissett missed most of the offseason program while holding out for a new contract. — Mike Jones, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Not every senator from a Big Ten state is holding out for the sake of one school in the conference. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 20 July 2026 In a video shared by Fox Sports, the father of three could be seen turning to his teenager and holding out his hand. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 England was superb with its back to the wall, first holding out volleys of Argentina attacks then, restored to 14 men and finally to full strength, scoring tries through Marcus Smith and Manny Feyi-Waboso to seal its win. — ABC News, 18 July 2026 The advocates are holding out hope that their messages will incite change. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 13 July 2026 Villa is holding out hope that one day soon, either through luck or Millete having a change of heart, May’s family will find her body and be able to give it a final resting place. — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026 Their coach, Rudi Garcia, showed some tactical daring, holding out two of his more prominent players until partway through the second half, injecting some energy into the game when the starters began to flag. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 Still, supporters of the science bond are holding out hope. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding out

Verb

The result is that nighttime driving increasingly feels less like navigating through darkness and more like surviving a rolling photonics demonstration from the consumer electronics industry.

— Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
Sheridan's formidable character, Cody, is the most experienced (and vocal) at surviving this new, lethal style of warfare.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of surviving

Verb

This will be a lasting image burned into the legacy of both WWE and Oba Femi’s lore.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Still, Desai argued that SpaceX’s IPO will have a lasting impact on the industry, and ultimately open up capital markets for entrepreneurs building the next billion-dollar businesses.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of lasting

Verb

Against that backdrop, Cunningham has become one of the league's few prominent players willing to publicly challenge the prevailing view on transgender participation in women's sports.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Once the signing with the Vikings was official, one of Murray’s coaches with the Cardinals, who requested anonymity to be candid about a former player, put the prevailing opinion bluntly.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 28 July 2026

Definition of prevailing

Verb

Some respondents have opted to reduce their plan contributions or borrow from their 401(k)s to meet other financial goals, such as reducing debt, paying for emergency expenses or keeping up with rising living costs, according to the results.

— Lorie Konish, CNBC, 15 July 2026
But rookie Brandon Valenzuela admitted recently that he's had some trouble keeping up with the evolving celebrations.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of keeping up

Verb

Buckingham asked, holding up a bag of prescription medications.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Several Argentinian players, including Giovani Lo Celso, Lisandro Martínez and Nicolas Otamendi, were seen holding up the banner before laying it down face up on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium pitch.

— Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026