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
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Recent Examples of hold out
Graciela holds out a necklace, decorated with the face of her daughter Jessica.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
James Ontiveros, ninth-generation grower and owner of Native 9, holds out his right hand, thumb down, to explain the topography of Santa Barbara County.
—
Michelle Williams,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
But anyone invested in the DCU would be best to hold out for Gunn’s return to the director’s chair on next year’s Superman continuation, Man of Tomorrow.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 June 2026
Chait narrowly averted a three-union strike in April with agreements that restored labor peace — but left critics questioning whether the school system could afford the pact, and whether Carvalho would have held out for a more affordable deal.
—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
James Ontiveros, ninth-generation grower and owner of Native 9, holds out his right hand, thumb down, to explain the topography of Santa Barbara County.
—
Michelle Williams,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
But anyone invested in the DCU would be best to hold out for Gunn’s return to the director’s chair on next year’s Superman continuation, Man of Tomorrow.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 June 2026
Chait narrowly averted a three-union strike in April with agreements that restored labor peace — but left critics questioning whether the school system could afford the pact, and whether Carvalho would have held out for a more affordable deal.
—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out
Verb
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Hader survived a laborious outing to strand the bases loaded in the ninth, Paredes tied the game with a solo home run in the eighth and Walker won it with a three-run shot in the 10th.
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After three days, the chances of someone surviving without water decrease rapidly.
Verb
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The quake was also strongly felt in other central and western states, where residents described prolonged shaking that lasted several seconds.
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Anderson’s timeline had the bath lasting for about three hours.
Verb
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Your unique needs, goals and circumstances require the individualized attention of your own tax and financial professionals whose advice and services will prevail over any information provided in this article.
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Pakistani officials said an uneasy calm prevailed along the border Monday, with security forces remaining on high alert.
Cite this Entry
“Hold out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20out. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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