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
There is reason to hold out hope that Moss might return, since June (Offred, as she is known in the book) does make an appearance in The Testaments novel.
—
Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 27 May 2025
Despite a timeline that initially ruled him out for six to eight months, both Hutchinson and the Lions held out hope for a potential return in the Super Bowl had the team made it that far.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The defenders of the plant held out for over a month under siege, despite running out of food, potable water, ammunition and other supplies.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 16 May 2025
The incredibly high expense has many homeowners holding out for Elevate Florida funding.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 27 May 2025
Despite a timeline that initially ruled him out for six to eight months, both Hutchinson and the Lions held out hope for a potential return in the Super Bowl had the team made it that far.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The defenders of the plant held out for over a month under siege, despite running out of food, potable water, ammunition and other supplies.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 16 May 2025
The incredibly high expense has many homeowners holding out for Elevate Florida funding.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out
Verb
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Wisdom is what allows critical care physicians like me not just to recite a definition of pneumonia but to sit with a family in crisis and interpret what that pneumonia means for the life of their loved one, who now needs the ventilator to survive.—
Venktesh Ramnath,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2025
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Having thrived on the continent for 15 million years, pigeons couldn’t survive a mere three centuries of the free market.—
Dan Flores,
Time,
29 May 2025
Verb
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The trial is expected to last several weeks, and Judge Arun Subramanian recently confirmed that the trial will most likely conclude before July 4.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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But earlier this month, Trump called for a cease-fire, prompting fears in Israel that American support for its military campaign might not last.—
Daniel Byman,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Brown is happy the game will be at CSUN instead of in the South Bay, where the previous two finals were played (at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2023 and at Long Beach State last spring when Carson prevailed 1-0 in 14 innings despite Moorman’s 19 strikeouts).—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
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The only question was whether someone else would beat him to it. Somer prevailed.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20out. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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