as in survives
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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Recent Examples of holds out
But seemingly by sheer willpower, Meredith holds out her hand, which sends the liquid back in the opposite direction toward Britani.
—
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Here’s hoping the good weather holds out for at least a few more weeks.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Here’s hoping the good weather holds out for at least a few more weeks.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds out
Verb
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But in recent movies such as Sinners and Anderson’s One Battle After Another, there is evidence that something in the antics of Coppola, Lucas, and Spielberg survives.—
Michael O’Donnell,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
What little survives in the form of meteorites is often impossible to locate and collect.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lent lasts 40 days, not counting Sundays, and ends before Easter.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
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The season of prayer lasts 40 days, excluding Sundays, and ends on Holy Thursday (April 2).—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Witness the scale and ferocity of nature’s most powerful forces – from hurricanes and flash floods to droughts and bushfires – and discover the ingenious ways nature endures, adapts and prevails against these new extremes.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
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Still, experts say, in naval combat, the larger force usually prevails.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Paired with the Country Fried Steak, an 8-ounce beef steak lightly coated, fried, and topped with white gravy, the table has something substantial that holds up as the game stretches on.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
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Cumming holds up his iPhone to the camera, proudly boasting about still-unseen looks in all their campy and ridiculous glory.—
Jonathan Borge,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holds out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20out. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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