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
Before joining the rotation, the 20-year-old 7-footer had missed one game due to a stomach illness, one game due to tendinitis in his right foot, was held out of nine games due to coach’s decision and spent three games on G League assignment.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2025
Just as the Catholic Church would hold a perverse appeal to the decadents of the period, eventually drawing in figures as seemingly resistant as Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley, anarchism held out a similar enchantment at the other end of the political spectrum.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
And Wiggins was held out of one of those games because of a stomach illness.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
Charlie McAvoy was held out of last game due to an upper-body injury, as was Auston Matthews with upper-body soreness.
—Lauren Merola, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2025
Just as the Catholic Church would hold a perverse appeal to the decadents of the period, eventually drawing in figures as seemingly resistant as Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley, anarchism held out a similar enchantment at the other end of the political spectrum.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
And Wiggins was held out of one of those games because of a stomach illness.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
Charlie McAvoy was held out of last game due to an upper-body injury, as was Auston Matthews with upper-body soreness.
—Lauren Merola, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hold out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold out
Verb
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Mogen, Kernodle, Goncalves and two other women who survived lived at the off-campus home on Kings Road.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
7 Mar. 2025
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Yet Trump is making the same mistake as Vladimir Putin—grossly underestimating Ukraine as a sovereign nation determined to survive.—
Illia Ponomarenko,
TIME,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The teenager’s strong Burnley accent meant his rendition made a lasting impression.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
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All of the phases of the eclipse are expected to last around six hours.—
Kelly Tyko,
Axios,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Herz prevailed Wednesday in a Broward courtroom, where a former mayoral candidate challenged his eligibility to run for office because of murkiness over his past voting address.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Mar. 2025
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Someday, nature may again prevail, and trees will grow where the gravel road winds.—
Larry Dablemont,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hold out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20out. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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