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
David Ubben, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Another running back to monitor is Tre Tyus, who is a practice-squad holdover from last year.
—Mike Kaye
updated May 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2026
Ross Mantle, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Maduko’s curious hold over the top leaders of the system would have grown stronger.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for holdover
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Noun
Pac-12 holdovers Washington State and Oregon State would have both made the field twice, during the old iteration of the Pac-12.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Another running back to monitor is Tre Tyus, who is a practice-squad holdover from last year.
—Mike Kaye
updated May 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2026
Verb
Four classes were held over the weekend, and competitors accumulated points over time.
—Ross Mantle, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Maduko’s curious hold over the top leaders of the system would have grown stronger.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 16 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 25 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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