HOLDS ON Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

holds on

verb

present tense third-person singular of hold on

as in remains

to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in waits

to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something hold on a minute—it's not your turn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 holds on The compilation misses remaining in the highest tier by only two rungs, while The Essential Michael Jackson barely holds on inside the bottom quarter of the 200-position roster. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 House Bill 945 establishes new regulations for cryptocurrency kiosks and allows financial institutions to place temporary holds on transactions when elder financial exploitation is suspected. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 June 2026 Nava’s specific approach to reining in rogue behavior by AI agents is the creation of an escrow service that holds on to funds until an agent proposes a transaction. — Jack Kubinec, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026 The camera holds on them mid-ascent. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 27 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds on

Verb

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, remains in charge.

— CARA ANNA, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
If an agent recommends three accounts for a sales rep to review, a lower confidence threshold is acceptable because human oversight remains intact.

— Filip Popovic, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of remains

Verb

Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune Dave Russell waits for a friend at Cabrini-Green while snoozing on a rusted slide on June 2, 2004.

— Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Lee, emerging from the dark woods beyond McMann’s cabin, gets picked up by a guy who nicknames himself the Boontill Oracle, a do-gooder who waits outside highway bars to give safe rides to local drunks.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of waits

Verb

Hell Week is widely considered one of the most physically and mentally demanding portions of the initial training, which lasts roughly six months.

— James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
For a one-term president who has lost a reelection bid, this period lasts just a few months, between their successor’s election and inauguration.

— Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of lasts

Verb

Demondice’s voice stays front and center, and the electronic riffs weave through both the percussion and vocals, ensuring the track sounds full outside of the understandably absent sub-bass.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2026
Once the chat is locked, new information remembered from subsequent messages stays within the Locked Chats memory area.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of stays

Verb

Ottawa continues to defend well, allowing the eighth-fewest goals at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.

— Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2026
As the counting of ballots continues, voting rights advocates are now looking ahead to any potential controversies over close races and the certification of results.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026