HOLDOUT Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

hold out

verb

Definition of hold out

as in to survive

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hold out Adebayo and most of the Heat’s rotation regulars were held out of Saturday’s exhibition against the Timberwolves before Adebayo sat out Wednesday’s preseason game due to his groin ailment. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 As seen in a video shared on social media, when Prince William held out a phone to take a selfie, the well-wisher reached out to angle his arm up so the photo could be taken from a higher angle. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2026 Bryant makes minutes count With three key reserves — Julian Champagnie, Luke Kornet and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson — held out for rest, the Spurs had plenty of minutes to distribute Wednesday. — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 14 Oct. 2026 Know More President Hakainde Hichilema, who secured a second five-year term in August, held out for months against the US demands requiring it to hand over biological specimens and patient data in exchange for the funding. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hold out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out

Verb

Figuring out whether those systems can survive is a big part of what Sandia’s Z Machine and Lawrence Livermore’s NIF were built for.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
And yet Church’s and some of its neighbors, including Tricker’s, Cheaney, and Edward Green, survived by turning the traditional manufacturing practices on which the town was built into an increasingly appreciated point of difference.

— Luke Leitch, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of survive

Verb

Its stainless steel body can last for years of making pour-over coffee every morning or evening cups of hot tea, and the kettle also comes in handy to boil water fast for everyday recipes.

— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2026
Tehran fears that surrendering its maritime leverage first would invite fresh demands; Washington worries that easing pressure would reward coercion without securing lasting constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.

— Ali Vaez, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of last

Verb

And if Raman prevails over Bass, that mayor will be someone who didn’t even want the Olympics here in the first place.

— Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Dupuy-Spencer had a reputation for clear-eyed renderings of both the tenderness and the brutality of our world; here, darker forces prevail.

— Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026