1
as in remained
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
2
as in waited
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 held on
She is charged with murder, carrying a firearm while under the influence, risk of injury to a child and first-degree reckless endangerment, and is being held on a $1 million bond.
—
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Meneses is being held on $1 million bond.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Additionally, there will be two masterclasses to be held on the same day, featuring conversations with actor Danny Trejo, and filmmaker Gia Coppola.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
Following Seth Rollins' injury, a Battle Royal was held on Raw last night, reportedly won by Jey Uso.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Last month, conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a question-and-answer session with students at an event held on Utah Valley University's campus.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Advertisement An investigation led by the Guardian found in September that out of the 6,000 Palestinians from Gaza held by Israel since the Hamas terror attack two years ago, only one quarter were held on suspicion of militant links.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
A lot of this can be attributed to Hawes, who, even in his first three games, was getting 35 percent of the team’s snaps — a massive increase from the role last year’s third tight end, Quintin Morris, held on offense.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Meneses is being held on $1 million bond.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Additionally, there will be two masterclasses to be held on the same day, featuring conversations with actor Danny Trejo, and filmmaker Gia Coppola.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
Following Seth Rollins' injury, a Battle Royal was held on Raw last night, reportedly won by Jey Uso.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Last month, conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a question-and-answer session with students at an event held on Utah Valley University's campus.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Advertisement An investigation led by the Guardian found in September that out of the 6,000 Palestinians from Gaza held by Israel since the Hamas terror attack two years ago, only one quarter were held on suspicion of militant links.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
A lot of this can be attributed to Hawes, who, even in his first three games, was getting 35 percent of the team’s snaps — a massive increase from the role last year’s third tight end, Quintin Morris, held on offense.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for held on
Verb
-
However, the couple remained close and even continued to live together at the Royal Lodge estate near Windsor Castle.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The ones that remained are the cream of the crop, and lack of activity has never been Sheridan’s problem.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Former Michigan State Coach Mel Tucker Michigan State at least waited until Mel Tucker’s second season, including a second win over Michigan, before giving him a 10-year, nearly $100 million deal for fear of losing him to LSU in 2021.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
After landing on a narrow ledge, the canine waited there for around 20 minutes while authorities and rescue teams rushed to the scene.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The couple has continued to purchase farmland with the goal of protecting it from development.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Unlike Snell, who continued to struggle before coming out in the sixth, Yamamoto got better – much better – as the evening wore on.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Each workout lasted two hours and included strength training, plus 20 minutes on both the StairMaster and cross trainer.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Addison Barger flew out on one pitch, Ernie Clement lasted just two deliveries and multiple Jays were out on three.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The White House released a full list of individuals and companies sponsoring the project on Thursday as questions about funding persisted.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Meteorologists forecast continued threats into the weekend, as several inches of rain and the risk of severe storms persisted from eastern Texas through the Lower Mississippi Valley, putting millions at risk of hazardous weather conditions.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Held on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20on. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share