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
A lot of people are nevertheless holding out hope for a team that moved the ball at will against the Bills and Lions (and has played a schedule that can only get easier going forward).
—
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
So whose support does Mamdani have, and who’s still holding out ahead of the November election?
—Connor Greene, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Sellers, meanwhile, are holding out.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
The games, messy negotiation tactics and the threat of holding out from regular-season contests simply became too much of a hassle to keep around.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
But Pollania is holding out for better times.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
According to Mari, the union is simply holding out for pay and benefits on par with other Boston-area trash companies and Republic Services is refusing to bargain.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Americans hit hard by inflation and rising costs are still holding out hope for a possible stimulus check in 2025.
—Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
So whose support does Mamdani have, and who’s still holding out ahead of the November election?
—Connor Greene, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Sellers, meanwhile, are holding out.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
The games, messy negotiation tactics and the threat of holding out from regular-season contests simply became too much of a hassle to keep around.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
But Pollania is holding out for better times.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
According to Mari, the union is simply holding out for pay and benefits on par with other Boston-area trash companies and Republic Services is refusing to bargain.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Americans hit hard by inflation and rising costs are still holding out hope for a possible stimulus check in 2025.
—Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding out
Verb
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All five surviving victims were stable as of Sunday afternoon and their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, police said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Oct. 2025
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Their reward for surviving the first week of class would be a front-row seat to another likely humiliation.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While lacking the third-party app support of the Apple Watch SE or Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, the Venu Sq 2 excels in battery life, lasting up to 11 days in smartwatch mode or 26 hours in GPS mode.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
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Not only that, the mid-rise design fits and flatters almost everyone, and Levi’s are notorious for lasting forever.—
Claire Gallam,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But close games in big windows have been the prevailing pattern thus far, as evidenced by the NFL’s second-strongest draw in 2025.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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One of the prevailing storylines in the Kuminga saga both last year and over the summer was Kerr and Kuminga’s relationship.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Not to mention keeping up with the latest trends and having to always outperform your competition.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Sep. 2025
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Not only are low-income families having a hard time keeping up with rising rents, but also those with a traditionally middle-class income are having difficulty matching rising rents in some cities.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Many financial groups continue to report that spending is largely holding up.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
16 Sep. 2025
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This opens up numerous applications, Ibrahim says, proudly holding up a vial of the yellow-brown slush in the lab.—
Sandy Ong,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20out. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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