as in surviving
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 holding out
His mom picked up, then turned to Leo, holding out the receiver.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Glassberg Sands is holding out hope that frontline employees will be safe from the cull, but as more human skills are targeted for automation, there could be drastic effects on the careers of recent grads.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
A lot of people are nevertheless holding out hope for a team that moved the ball at will against the Bills and Lions (and has played a schedule that can only get easier going forward).
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
So whose support does Mamdani have, and who’s still holding out ahead of the November election?
—Connor Greene, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Sellers, meanwhile, are holding out.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
The games, messy negotiation tactics and the threat of holding out from regular-season contests simply became too much of a hassle to keep around.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
But Pollania is holding out for better times.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
According to Mari, the union is simply holding out for pay and benefits on par with other Boston-area trash companies and Republic Services is refusing to bargain.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Glassberg Sands is holding out hope that frontline employees will be safe from the cull, but as more human skills are targeted for automation, there could be drastic effects on the careers of recent grads.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
A lot of people are nevertheless holding out hope for a team that moved the ball at will against the Bills and Lions (and has played a schedule that can only get easier going forward).
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
So whose support does Mamdani have, and who’s still holding out ahead of the November election?
—Connor Greene, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Sellers, meanwhile, are holding out.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
The games, messy negotiation tactics and the threat of holding out from regular-season contests simply became too much of a hassle to keep around.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
But Pollania is holding out for better times.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
According to Mari, the union is simply holding out for pay and benefits on par with other Boston-area trash companies and Republic Services is refusing to bargain.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding out
Verb
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Early in the investigation, the surviving roommates were ruled out as suspects.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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Built in 1901 by Fort Lauderdale’s founding family, the Stranahan House is the oldest surviving structure in Broward County.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many obstacles remain to a lasting peace — including whether Israel will pull its military entirely out of Gaza, whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza — but the peace plan may already be shifting the debate around calls to ban and boycott culture coming out of Israel.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
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Shapiro gave an emotional public statement Tuesday alongside his wife, state First Lady Lori Shapiro, explaining that the attack has left lasting scars on his family.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Although surveys showed former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon with a lead, Collins ended up prevailing with just over 50 percent of the vote.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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The two clubs had dueled for much of the season for the AL East crown, with the Jays prevailing via tiebreaker.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Not to mention keeping up with the latest trends and having to always outperform your competition.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Sep. 2025
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Not only are low-income families having a hard time keeping up with rising rents, but also those with a traditionally middle-class income are having difficulty matching rising rents in some cities.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Though the ball ends up bouncing off of Bad Bunny’s shoulder and dropping to the floor, the clip cuts to him holding up his new keepsake with a big smile on his face.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
8 Oct. 2025
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Many financial groups continue to report that spending is largely holding up.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holding out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20out. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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