as in holding up
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in remaining
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state
the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in waiting
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
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Recent Examples of holding on
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
As the price of gas in California pushes toward $6 a gallon, Bay Area drivers are holding on for a miracle.
—Kara St. Cyr, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Amid all that, Varsity Blues — about a Texas high-school football team rebelling against its abusive coach and holding on to one last gasp of glory before graduation — got a little lost.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Also, Southern California visits Nebraska with both sides holding on for dear life.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Tad Smith, the former CEO of Sotheby’s and now partner at 50T Funds, a growth equity firm focused on digital assets, said many wealthy crypto investors are holding on to their bitcoin and other tokens expecting a further run-up in price.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, her hair was trimmed in a shaggy pixie cut; the front just barely holding on to the top of her forehead.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
One of the photos featured Justin sitting in the passenger seat of a car while holding on to Jack's feet, with the toddler standing on his father's lap.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
During their conversation, France speaks about holding on tightly to his little ones.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
Older employees are holding on to roles for longer, delaying the upward movement that typically creates space for new entrants.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
As the price of gas in California pushes toward $6 a gallon, Bay Area drivers are holding on for a miracle.
—Kara St. Cyr, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Amid all that, Varsity Blues — about a Texas high-school football team rebelling against its abusive coach and holding on to one last gasp of glory before graduation — got a little lost.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Also, Southern California visits Nebraska with both sides holding on for dear life.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Tad Smith, the former CEO of Sotheby’s and now partner at 50T Funds, a growth equity firm focused on digital assets, said many wealthy crypto investors are holding on to their bitcoin and other tokens expecting a further run-up in price.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, her hair was trimmed in a shaggy pixie cut; the front just barely holding on to the top of her forehead.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
One of the photos featured Justin sitting in the passenger seat of a car while holding on to Jack's feet, with the toddler standing on his father's lap.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
During their conversation, France speaks about holding on tightly to his little ones.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding on
Verb
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The village will hold on to the remaining 60%, and whoever buys the home will receive property tax breaks for 10 years.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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The canoe area lies in the national forest just downstream from the mine site, raising concerns that digging could create pollution that would contaminate one of the nation’s last remaining wild areas.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Home plate umpire John Libka got an earful from Cron, who apparently thought Cortes was waiting for a resolution to the broken chain and not the pitch from Wacha.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
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Detectives say a group was apparently waiting for a rapper to leave the party.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Lakers committed 24 turnovers in Game 4 in Houston, the Rockets continuing to push the Lakers out of their offensive rhythm.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The pitch clock was continuing its relentless pursuit of zero, but Wacha didn’t call a timeout.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And this is clearly to get to a lasting peace.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
-
That experience left a lasting impression.—
Janelle Ash , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20on. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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