holding pattern
noun
1
: the usually oval course flown (as over an airport) by aircraft awaiting clearance especially to land
2
: a state of waiting or suspended activity or progress
Examples of holding pattern in a Sentence
Our plane was in a holding pattern for almost an hour because of the fog.
repair work on the bridge was in a holding pattern for the duration of the winter
Recent Examples on the Web
Most view the current situation as a temporary holding pattern.
—
Rob Day, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Given the Nevada court’s decision, the Murdoch assets return to a holding pattern and likely will be split evenly among the four children.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Congress is in a holding pattern for AI policy as members try to decipher signals from the White House about its plans for the rapidly developing tech.
—Maria Curi, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
But bad weather, the need for a series of holding patterns and poor communication between the flight crew and air traffic controllers caused the plane to run out of fuel.
—Christopher Maag, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding pattern
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Rob Day, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Given the Nevada court’s decision, the Murdoch assets return to a holding pattern and likely will be split evenly among the four children.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Congress is in a holding pattern for AI policy as members try to decipher signals from the White House about its plans for the rapidly developing tech.
—Maria Curi, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
But bad weather, the need for a series of holding patterns and poor communication between the flight crew and air traffic controllers caused the plane to run out of fuel.
—Christopher Maag, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holding pattern
Cite this Entry
“Holding pattern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holding%20pattern. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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