as in to survive
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 hold out
Many supporters, however, argue that Arsenal should have held out to land one of its long-term targets.
—
Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
But Republicans are holding out hope that Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a Trump confidant, will join the fray and make that contest more competitive.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 July 2025
After standing out with 14 points on nine field-goal attempts in the Heat’s summer league loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6 in the California Classic, Gardner was held out of the first three games of Las Vegas Summer League because of a finger injury.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 26 July 2025
Some physicists hold out hope that the dead ends do somehow go away.
—Charlie Wood, Wired News, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
But Republicans are holding out hope that Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a Trump confidant, will join the fray and make that contest more competitive.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 July 2025
After standing out with 14 points on nine field-goal attempts in the Heat’s summer league loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6 in the California Classic, Gardner was held out of the first three games of Las Vegas Summer League because of a finger injury.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 26 July 2025
Some physicists hold out hope that the dead ends do somehow go away.
—Charlie Wood, Wired News, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out
Verb
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Keep your eyes peeled for the famous herd of Banker horses, thought to be descended from those that survived Spanish shipwrecks 500 years ago.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
28 July 2025
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In the show, two chefs divide a group of struggling culinary hopefuls into opposing teams and sharpen their cooking skills through tips and tutorials so that a cook from their team can survive elimination and walk away with a sweet-as-pie cash prize of $25,000.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
28 July 2025
Verb
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But this extraordinary seedbed of talent may not last forever.—
Gabriel Snyder,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
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The darker green color typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Located on California’s central coast along the Monterey Bay, the cool coastal temps prevail through August.—
Brittany Anas,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
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In the end, Gilmore prevails over his nemesis at the Tour Championship, winning back his grandmother’s house and even getting a vision from the heavens of his mentor Peterson, who passed away before the championships.—
Luke Chinman,
People.com,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20out. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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