held over; holding over; holds over
: to continue (as in office) for a prolonged period
2
: to prolong the engagement of
the film was held over another week
Examples of holdover in a Sentence
Noun
He is the only holdover from their last championship team.
This policy is a holdover from the previous administration.
Verb
the golf tournament had to be held over until the line of thunderstorms had passed through
Recent Examples on the Web
Mike Kaye
april 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
The popularity of acronyms in science may be a holdover from the era of print journals, where space was at a premium, said Adrian Barnett, a statistician and meta-science researcher at the Queensland University of Technology.
—Clarissa Brincat, Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Talks were held over his contract being terminated early but that was halted after his winner against Tottenham.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for holdover
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Noun
Samac is a holdover who is well-liked by the staff and front office.
—Mike Kaye
april 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
The popularity of acronyms in science may be a holdover from the era of print journals, where space was at a premium, said Adrian Barnett, a statistician and meta-science researcher at the Queensland University of Technology.
—Clarissa Brincat, Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
The gala’s funds support acquisitions of garments and accessories, but also the institute’s reference library, which holds over 800 periodicals and 1,500 designer files pertaining to the history of fashion and clothing, dating back to the sixteenth century.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Talks were held over his contract being terminated early but that was halted after his winner against Tottenham.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for holdover
Cite this Entry
“Holdover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdover. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
hold over
intransitive verb
: to remain in a position or condition
one who holds over in possession of a building after the expiration of a term of years—B. N. Cardozo
B. N. Cardozo
holdover
noun
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