held on

verb

Definition of held onnext
past tense of hold on
1
as in remained
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in waited
to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something hold on a minute—it's not your turn

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held on
  1. remained
  2. waited
  3. continued
  4. lasted
  5. persisted
Verb
  • Since researchers began excavating and studying Stonehenge in the 17th century, the structure’s purpose has remained a mystery.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Yet Dylan remained deeply ambivalent about being absorbed into any kind of movement.
    Grant Wong, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of remained
Verb
  • As a livestock truck entered the property, Stella raced to the driveway and waited patiently for her work to begin.
    Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Forced to pause, Frankie waited for Sarah to catch up and help, but her patience grew thin.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of waited
Verb
  • Crosby continued his nearly 20-year assault on the Philadelphia Flyers with a 4-point outburst as the Penguins rolled to a 7-3 victory at PPG Paints Arena in their final game before the Christmas break.
    Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
  • After the ceremony, the day continued with various rituals and games.
    Shelby Wax, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of continued
Verb
  • The ground stop lasted about an hour.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Notably, the full design and development process from ideation and vision to execution lasted 18 months.
    Alexandra Pastore, WWD, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of lasted
Verb
  • But residents’ complaints about conditions have persisted for decades, with protests intensifying in 2021.
    Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The fish had effectively died out of these waters years earlier, but have since persisted in the clean water.
    Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of persisted
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near held on

held off (on)

held on

held one's breath

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Cite this Entry

“Held on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/held%20on. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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