as in holding up
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in remaining
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state
the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in waiting
to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something
hold on a minute—it's not your turn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of holding on
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Older employees are holding on to roles for longer, delaying the upward movement that typically creates space for new entrants.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
As the price of gas in California pushes toward $6 a gallon, Bay Area drivers are holding on for a miracle.
—Kara St. Cyr, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Amid all that, Varsity Blues — about a Texas high-school football team rebelling against its abusive coach and holding on to one last gasp of glory before graduation — got a little lost.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Also, Southern California visits Nebraska with both sides holding on for dear life.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Tad Smith, the former CEO of Sotheby’s and now partner at 50T Funds, a growth equity firm focused on digital assets, said many wealthy crypto investors are holding on to their bitcoin and other tokens expecting a further run-up in price.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, her hair was trimmed in a shaggy pixie cut; the front just barely holding on to the top of her forehead.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
One of the photos featured Justin sitting in the passenger seat of a car while holding on to Jack's feet, with the toddler standing on his father's lap.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
Now, holding on to Paredes may prove to be a season-saving decision.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Older employees are holding on to roles for longer, delaying the upward movement that typically creates space for new entrants.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
As the price of gas in California pushes toward $6 a gallon, Bay Area drivers are holding on for a miracle.
—Kara St. Cyr, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Amid all that, Varsity Blues — about a Texas high-school football team rebelling against its abusive coach and holding on to one last gasp of glory before graduation — got a little lost.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Also, Southern California visits Nebraska with both sides holding on for dear life.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Tad Smith, the former CEO of Sotheby’s and now partner at 50T Funds, a growth equity firm focused on digital assets, said many wealthy crypto investors are holding on to their bitcoin and other tokens expecting a further run-up in price.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, her hair was trimmed in a shaggy pixie cut; the front just barely holding on to the top of her forehead.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
One of the photos featured Justin sitting in the passenger seat of a car while holding on to Jack's feet, with the toddler standing on his father's lap.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding on
Verb
-
The village will hold on to the remaining 60%, and whoever buys the home will receive property tax breaks for 10 years.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The canoe area lies in the national forest just downstream from the mine site, raising concerns that digging could create pollution that would contaminate one of the nation’s last remaining wild areas.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Many of his later programs have been capped by a coda in which the tricks of the trade are laid bare—no trick being more vital than that of extreme patience, with camera operators waiting days, or even weeks, for the right cub, or pup, or fledgling, or froglet, to show up.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
At the finish of the night, once the final notes have faded and the last bits of confetti have dropped, Eilish, now coming off less like a savior blessing her masses than just another young woman at the end of a tough but rewarding workday, hops into a waiting SUV.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Local health authorities are continuing to monitor them.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Ukraine retaliated after Russia spurned Kyiv’s ceasefire offer earlier in the week, with President Zelensky accusing Moscow of ignoring goodwill gestures and continuing all military operations against civilians.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Replenishment ensures that wartime expenditure does not translate into a lasting strategic gap.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
-
All were contained and put out without injury or lasting damage.—
Tom Von Essen,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20on. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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