as in holding up
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Dissimilar Words
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
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of holding on
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Also, Southern California visits Nebraska with both sides holding on for dear life.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Verb
Amid all that, Varsity Blues — about a Texas high-school football team rebelling against its abusive coach and holding on to one last gasp of glory before graduation — got a little lost.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Also, Southern California visits Nebraska with both sides holding on for dear life.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding on
Verb
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Swiss-Italian operator MSC Cruises said its vessel, the MSC Euribia, is remaining in Dubai following guidance from US regional military authorities, according to Reuters.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
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The Bruins improved to 20-10 overall and 12-7 in the Big Ten with one regular season game remaining, Saturday at crosstown rival USC.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Its still waiting to load up and head to Bangladesh.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps the first season’s misguided focus is just one more wrinkle waiting to be ironed out — an attempt to fit HBO’s edgy, contemporary brand from a creative team best suited for broad comedy.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Under the 2026 contract, the company will provide lifecycle support while continuing to develop, produce, and install the new fire control systems through 2032.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
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Junior kept busy during his hiatus, formalizing his own $ad Boyz Records in 2024 and introducing his first signing, Valenzuela; the label operates alongside Rancho Humilde, with Junior remaining under contract and continuing to release albums for the latter.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With each solar orbit lasting 769 days, that’s a real-time slowdown of just over 10 micrometers per second, shrinking the asteroids’ 300-million-mile orbit by 2,360 feet.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Your reliability builds lasting bridges that support future goals.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20on. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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