1
as in to remain
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state
the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wait
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 hold on
The Great Escape festival is held on an annual basis every May in the seaside city of Brighton, and spotlights emerging and rising talent from the U.K. and Ireland as well international newcomers.
—
Thomas Smith, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2025
As the boat drifted further away, Lemons tried to hold on to prevent being lost at sea.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shares of Strategy failed to hold on to an early pop on Monday as the bitcoin-proxy stock reversed course amid a crypto market sell-off.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
But Adebayo, Herro and Wiggins teamed up to help the Heat dominate overtime 13-4, holding on for the nine-point victory.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold on
Thomas Smith, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2025
As the boat drifted further away, Lemons tried to hold on to prevent being lost at sea.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shares of Strategy failed to hold on to an early pop on Monday as the bitcoin-proxy stock reversed course amid a crypto market sell-off.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
But Adebayo, Herro and Wiggins teamed up to help the Heat dominate overtime 13-4, holding on for the nine-point victory.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold on
Verb
-
Still, one thing remained constant: Taylor’s dedication towards a quality hair primer to create the perfect canvas for building and maintaining any look.—
Pooja Shah,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Police recovered a knife sheath from under Mogen's remains with DNA on the snap.—
Michael Ruiz,
Fox News,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
At the doctor's office, Kathy and Kyle resumed their discussion while waiting for their results.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
5 Mar. 2025
-
But Democrats have warned that firing thousands of VA employees will have devastating impacts on the nation's veterans, forcing them to wait longer for medical care, to have disability claims adjudicated and to speak to someone at the Veterans Crisis Line.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
However, according to a resolution included in the agenda for the board’s Thursday meeting, the original resolution will no longer continue as planned.—
Ikram Mohamed,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Francis remained in critical condition but the Holy See bureaucracy continued to function, with the announcement of new bishops and a new church fundraising initiative.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
One thing about Zendaya: sis gon’ stay booked and busy.—
Marc Griffin,
VIBE.com,
27 Feb. 2025
-
The drought severity has stayed the same across California, with nearly 15 percent of the state battling extreme drought conditions.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Blue Ghost is not designed to last forever on the moon.—
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
1 Mar. 2025
-
The hearing Friday was supposed to last fewer than 90 minutes — but stretched more than three hours.—
Lee Ann Anderson,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20on. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share