1
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
2
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds on
Verb
-
Despite this, the number of animals in shelters remains high—in the first half of 2024, 322,000 more pets entered shelters than exited them.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025 -
With partial adoption, AI remains a disconnected tool rather than a reliable part of the team's strategy.—
Peter Benei,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The world waits for a compelling example of humanoid robots saving a customer money in a defensible way.—
Jeff Mahler,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Compiled annually by a group led by Franklin Leonard, a recipient of a Gotham tribute award this year, Variety waits with childlike anticipation each year to see which scripts film executives have really been buzzing over — but haven’t had the budget or the chutzpah to put into production just yet.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
10 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
While totality typically only lasts for a few minutes with a total solar eclipse, the moon during this week’s event will spend just over an hour in Earth’s shadow.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Build your community advantage starting now Community is the competitive advantage that lasts.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The team’s work continues to show the great diversity of shapes and sizes of creatures of the deep.—
Danielle Hall,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Schaefer continues to play better and better and looks to be in a premier role for Canada to start the tournament.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
The Athletic,
24 Dec. 2024
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.
Cite this Entry
“Holds on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holds%20on. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share