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

Synonyms

• abeyance
• cold storage
• deep freeze
• doldrums
• dormancy
• latency
• moratorium
• quiescence
• suspended animation
• suspense
• suspension

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

Anxiety about the election has forced businesses of all sizes into an uncomfortable holding pattern that ultimately could negatively impact their bottom lines and the US economy as a whole, experts say. —Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024

The expression, however, describes the current-era team, which is once again in a holding pattern awaiting Cody Bellinger’s decision on whether to return to Chicago. —Phil Rogers, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024

So, in early 1962, Merrell and the FDA were still in this weird, familiar holding pattern: waiting for clinical evidence, data that would either exonerate or further implicate thalidomide. —Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2024

Behind the scenes, Democrats were left in an awkward holding pattern. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 19 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1952, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

holding pattern

noun

1

: the course flown (as over an airport) by an aircraft waiting for permission to land

2

: a state of waiting or suspended activity

the project is in a holding pattern