as in holding up
Related Words
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of holding on
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 Record levels of burnout — a seven-year high, with 61% of employees reporting at least moderate burnout — suggest many are simply holding on. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 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 During their conversation, France speaks about holding on tightly to his little ones. —Janine Henni, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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 Record levels of burnout — a seven-year high, with 61% of employees reporting at least moderate burnout — suggest many are simply holding on. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 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 During their conversation, France speaks about holding on tightly to his little ones. —Janine Henni, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding on
Verb
-
Thinly slice remaining 1 scallion on a diagonal; set aside for serving.— Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Apr. 2026
-
Using Opta’s power rankings to estimate the relative difficulty of each side’s remaining games, Carlos Corberan’s Valencia have the most to fear.— Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His yearning for Ruben’s approval and fear of his own desires are so acute that, when the show flashes forward to Niall’s wedding again, one half expects to see a woman waiting at the altar.— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
-
Manchester City are top of the league again, for the first time since the opening weekend of the season, and after months of talk about Arsenal being champions in waiting.— Sam Lee, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the first half, Jokic was minus-22 when the gangly center was on the court, continuing an alarming trend in the series.— Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
-
Israeli troops have been burning homes in southern Lebanon, while also continuing to destroy neighborhoods and infrastructure in the area amid Lebanon's truce with Israel, Lebanese media reported.— Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In at least two cases Taylor has seen, the relationship between the child and parent suffered lasting damage.— Tori Latham, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2026
-
As Democrats look toward the next election cycle, the question is no longer whether the party is shifting on Israel, but whether that shift will turn one of Washington’s most durable bipartisan issues into a lasting political fault line.— Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holding on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/holding%20on. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
