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
Ubel says some were holding out for lower prices this spring, only to see the price of the most common nitrogen fertilizer, urea, spike close to 30% when Iran shut down shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, halting close to half the world's fertilizer trade.
—
Frank Morris, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
The White House is holding out hope for a bipartisan deal on artificial intelligence legislation this year despite Democratic opposition to its framework.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Helman, a product of Texas A&M, seemed surprised when Nimmo was holding out the Rolex before giving him the box.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Not here in Chinatown, but perhaps this place is holding out for something better, something more real.
—Xuan Juliana Wang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Mourinho had seen enough and marched over to Parkinson on the touchline, holding out his hand in a gesture intended to concede defeat.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Child care providers and workers in Michigan are holding out hope for more.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 8 Mar. 2026
The unscripted business has been holding out hope that under Wiseman and Holland, Paramount+ will become another major buyer of reality formats and series to rival the likes of Netflix and the broadcast networks.
—Peter White, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Brendan Morrow Speaking to NBC News, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators are holding out hope that Nancy Guthrie is alive.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Frank Morris, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
The White House is holding out hope for a bipartisan deal on artificial intelligence legislation this year despite Democratic opposition to its framework.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Helman, a product of Texas A&M, seemed surprised when Nimmo was holding out the Rolex before giving him the box.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Not here in Chinatown, but perhaps this place is holding out for something better, something more real.
—Xuan Juliana Wang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Mourinho had seen enough and marched over to Parkinson on the touchline, holding out his hand in a gesture intended to concede defeat.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Child care providers and workers in Michigan are holding out hope for more.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 8 Mar. 2026
The unscripted business has been holding out hope that under Wiseman and Holland, Paramount+ will become another major buyer of reality formats and series to rival the likes of Netflix and the broadcast networks.
—Peter White, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Brendan Morrow Speaking to NBC News, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators are holding out hope that Nancy Guthrie is alive.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding out
Verb
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Our team found that a hospital cyberattack cut the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest without devastating brain damage by nearly 90% at nearby hospitals, not just the one that was attacked.—
Jeffrey Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
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This sighting suggests that the baby will likely live to adulthood after surviving its first year of life.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Brianna LeConti's younger brother Bryce had a wish granted in 2010, an experience that left a lasting impact.—
Aaron Parseghian,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
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The clumping foliage of this iris is also an attraction, and its vivid seeds in their pods are suitable for long-lasting dry arrangements.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The latter, a wry comedy of futile endeavor, was based on a story by Kiarostami, but Haghighi soon sought to shake off Kiarostami’s influence—and, even more, a prevailing caricature of Iranian cinema that Kiarostami’s style had given rise to.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Publicly, the prevailing perception is that the Mavericks’ efforts to build a new arena by 2031 are moving at glacial pace.—
Brad Townsend,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For me, keeping up with bills was never a huge problem.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
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The unlikely pair blasted through the song, with Braxton keeping up on the mic, to the delight of the crowd.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The resultant device blends fast discharge speeds with massive storage capacity, holding up to 25 times more energy per kilogram than conventional versions.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
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Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of deliberately holding up oil supplies -- claims that Zelenskyy denies.—
LORNE COOK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20out. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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