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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Two other top-10 selections for the Ducks, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, held out into camp two seasons ago, when the Ducks last made a coaching change.
—
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
As inflation and rising costs of everyday items have hit Americans hard in 2025, some continue to hold out hope for a stimulus check, rebate or dividend from the government.
—Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Center Macklin Celebrini, who missed two days of training camp last week with what was described as an illness, practiced Wednesday but was again held out of contact drills.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
But some believers continue to hold out hope, which Schnabel said is unsurprising.
—Dalila Muata, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
As inflation and rising costs of everyday items have hit Americans hard in 2025, some continue to hold out hope for a stimulus check, rebate or dividend from the government.
—Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Center Macklin Celebrini, who missed two days of training camp last week with what was described as an illness, practiced Wednesday but was again held out of contact drills.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
But some believers continue to hold out hope, which Schnabel said is unsurprising.
—Dalila Muata, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out
Verb
-
This discipline, debating until the best idea survives, teaches future leaders to welcome scrutiny, pressure-test their own reasoning, and make tough calls with limited information.—
Ruth Umoh,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In June, Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition narrowly survived a push for early elections, which could have led to the dissolution of his government and advanced an election set for October 2026.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Short cruises, typically lasting less than a week, are growing in popularity for quick getaways.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The 22-game run lasted from January 16, 1897, to September 18 later that year and helped the Birmingham club do the double of league title and FA Cup in the spring — something that wouldn’t be achieved again until Tottenham Hotspur replicated it in 1960-61.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This could herald an end not just to the acute suffering under this war, but also to the misery that has prevailed in the Strip, especially since 2007, when Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade in response to Hamas’s violent takeover of the territory.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Then, Tennessee survived in Starkville in OT, while Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss prevailed over LSU (and Lane Kiffin sounded like a sitcom dad).—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20out. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share