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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Recent Examples of holding out
Jones continues holding out hope for a title run.
—
Dallas Morning News, 7 Jan. 2026
Despite the lack of answers, Jim and Nancy remained optimistic, holding out hope for their kids' eventual discovery.
—Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
His career at Florida has centered on building muscle, but some concerns about his health still loom, which played a role in Golden holding out until late Thursday night.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Although China sales haven’t been included in Nvidia’s outlook for some time, many investors were still holding out hope that shipments could restart following some encouraging developments this summer .
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2025
Sometimes owners are holding out for a bigger payday.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
In the shutdown standoff, congressional Democrats are holding out for certain health care provisions, including an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Democrats are holding out to extend the pandemic-era subsidies used by about 20 million Americans and more than 300,000 Arizonans.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Either way, don’t stop holding out hope for more Greta Lee.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Dallas Morning News, 7 Jan. 2026
Despite the lack of answers, Jim and Nancy remained optimistic, holding out hope for their kids' eventual discovery.
—Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
His career at Florida has centered on building muscle, but some concerns about his health still loom, which played a role in Golden holding out until late Thursday night.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Although China sales haven’t been included in Nvidia’s outlook for some time, many investors were still holding out hope that shipments could restart following some encouraging developments this summer .
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2025
Sometimes owners are holding out for a bigger payday.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
In the shutdown standoff, congressional Democrats are holding out for certain health care provisions, including an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Democrats are holding out to extend the pandemic-era subsidies used by about 20 million Americans and more than 300,000 Arizonans.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Either way, don’t stop holding out hope for more Greta Lee.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding out
Verb
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Throughout both films, Stern's Marv is subjected to some of the worst obstacles set up to protect Keven, including stepping on a nail barefoot, taking a hot iron to the face and bricks to the head, and surviving an electrocution.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Jan. 2026
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Removing combustible materials from Zone 0 is one of the most practical steps to reduce risk and improve a structure's likelihood of surviving extreme wildfire exposure.—
Amanda Hari,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The declaration was adopted in Paris by the Coalition of the Willing and sets out what leaders said was a framework for lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia, set in international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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The image of Gobert fumbling with the ball and having his shot attempt rim out has been a lasting one.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Political tension and industrywide uncertainty are the prevailing moods heading into Sunday night’s 83rd Golden Globes hosted by Nikki Glaser, a comic known for her roast appearances.—
Mercury News,
Mercury News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Political tension and industrywide uncertainty are the prevailing moods heading into Sunday night’s 83rd Golden Globes.—
Jake Coyle,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Grid bottlenecks hamper Indian renewables growth India’s energy grid isn’t keeping up with a surge in clean power.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
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Plus, keeping up with maintenance is the best way to preserve your investment.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Suamataia holding up was one of the few things that went right.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
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The woman and the agent appear to be holding up cellphones filming each other.—
Chris Looft,
ABC News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20out. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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