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
Further down the line, investors are holding out hope for big tech IPOs to return later into Trump’s presidency.
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Ryan Browne, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2025
This framing commits Beijing to holding out, because the alternative is for a party that predicates its power on the projection of strength to appear to be capitulating to a hostile onslaught.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025
Optimistic Chinese observers even held out hope for a grand bargain with Trump over trade, TikTok – and perhaps even Taiwan.
—Beijing and Washington Bureaus, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
As theaters continue to struggle in the aftermath of the pandemic, Los Angeles residents hold out hope hope that the Cinerama Dome and ArcLight theaters may someday return.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Ryan Browne, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2025
This framing commits Beijing to holding out, because the alternative is for a party that predicates its power on the projection of strength to appear to be capitulating to a hostile onslaught.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025
Optimistic Chinese observers even held out hope for a grand bargain with Trump over trade, TikTok – and perhaps even Taiwan.
—Beijing and Washington Bureaus, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
As theaters continue to struggle in the aftermath of the pandemic, Los Angeles residents hold out hope hope that the Cinerama Dome and ArcLight theaters may someday return.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out
Verb
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Final Thoughts Every stage of the startup journey—fighting to survive, avoiding stagnation or navigating complexity—comes with its own set of challenges.—
Hope Horner,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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If young curlews cannot survive to reproductive age, conservationists fear there won’t be enough breeding birds to replenish the species’ numbers, which could cause the entire population to collapse.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Whether through design, real estate, or social initiatives, Yemane’s businesses are all about impact, helping people build wealth, communities, and lasting relationships.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Will Warren lasted just 1.2 innings in the Bombers’ first major league game at George M. Steinbrenner Field.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Nonetheless, under current court interpretation of federal law, Maine should prevail if the state can stick it out, said Rothstein and several other critics of the Trump administration.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
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While most losses were caused by fraud, ransomware prevailed as the largest threat to critical infrastructure in 2024, the FBI said.—
Nicole Brown Chau,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20out. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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