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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of holding on
Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Investors have been holding on to their shares with few willing to sell, according to a private share placement agent, who requested anonymity for privacy concerns.
—Evelyn Cheng,anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 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
BofA doesn’t project any scenarios in the event of a recession, but with the economy stalling out for job-hoppers, the workforce is in white-knuckle mode, holding on tight.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 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
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
Investors have been holding on to their shares with few willing to sell, according to a private share placement agent, who requested anonymity for privacy concerns.
—Evelyn Cheng,anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 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
BofA doesn’t project any scenarios in the event of a recession, but with the economy stalling out for job-hoppers, the workforce is in white-knuckle mode, holding on tight.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 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
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The remaining contestants are placed in the center of a grid of 16 rooms, and asked to find the exit within 15 rounds.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
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The appointments of Stacie Brown and Monty Baugh in March 2024 filled the remaining seats on the board.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And so, Vladimir and Estragon wearily choose to continue waiting, day in and day out.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
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Hospital employees hid for several hours waiting for SWAT teams to escort them out, while procedures and treatments were postponed.—
Detroit Free Press,
Freep.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This includes continuing to donate 5 percent of our profits to a range of organizations and activating our long-standing tradition of local volunteerism.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Kimmel's show received its highest ratings in a decade despite Sinclair and Nexstar continuing to preempt the show during its first night.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Economists believe that a restructuring of China's over-capacity issue is already in motion and will likely be a lasting theme in the 15th five-year plan.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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Stege Bojer’s goal is to build lasting jeans that could one day be worth passing on.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20on. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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