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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

But while money remains unclaimed, the government benefits from having control of it.

— Mark Lewyn, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Bleecker remains nimble, with roughly 30 employees in New York and Los Angeles, and has a reputation for doing its best to rein in costs.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of remains

Verb

But if an application still waits for separate handoffs among sales, credit, compliance, and operations, the customer may see little improvement.

— David Pralong, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Lower reimbursement can mean fewer available physicians, longer waits for appointments, and greater reliance on emergency rooms for routine care.

— Nicolette Natale, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of waits

Verb

Every ton of greenhouse gas that humans can avoid releasing today reduces how much ice Antarctica loses this century, and the benefit – slower and less sea-level rise – lasts for hundreds of years.

— Robert Kopp, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Analysts are equally cautious about how long the relief lasts.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of lasts

Verb

And while the brand continues to honor its heritage, Giraco said Dom Pérignon is always looking ahead and evolving.

— Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026
As the series continues, however, Kazan plays up the explanatory power of an incident from Cathy’s childhood.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of continues

Cite this Entry

Style

“Holds on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20on. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of holds on

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perseverate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes