HELD ON Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

held on

verb

past tense of hold on

as in remained

to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in waited

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 held on Daily Sunrise Stretch classes, often held on the waterfront deck, are complimentary. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 The show was held on a Monday night in its first outing on Prime Video in 2022, and on a Thursday night the next three years. — Paul Grein, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026 The defense even held on in perhaps the game’s most pivotal moment. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026 In Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers played in their franchise-record ninth consecutive one-score game, but Minnesota (3-0) held on, 23-16, after batting down a desperate Hail Mary heave as time expired. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026 Winston completed 12 of 18 passes for 117 yards, Holland intercepted Cam Ward with 17 seconds left and the Giants held on to beat the Tennessee Titans 12-7 on Sunday. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 Brown raced out to a 17-0 lead at halftime and held on for the road win. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026 She is currently being held on a $5 million bond and will be tried as an adult. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 14 Sep. 2026 There are ambitious plans for the development of the stadium, with a planning meeting expected to be held on September 16, which should hopefully see those plans take a significant step forward. — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for held on

Verb

Though the station itself was torn down in the late 1960s, the Caledonian hotel remained, and has been under Waldorf Astoria's ownership since 2012.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
From there on out, Anderson remained a frequent collaborator with the Coen Brothers, going on to storyboard each of their films.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of remained

Verb

Stewart waited another two weeks to get back onto the field for the Trojans, making his season debut count during Saturday’s loss to Oregon.

— Sean Campbell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
The passengers were accompanied by family members who waited for their arrival.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of waited

Verb

After a concertgoer died in the audience at a Carson music festival on Saturday, an artist is outraged the show continued while the deceased was still on-site.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Temasek, however, remains bullish on AI over the longer term and has continued to increase investments into the sector.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of continued

Verb

Within a week, a majority of those in the treatment group had a 50% reduction in their symptoms and the effects persisted throughout the six-week follow-up period.

— Will Stone, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Only the school’s investigation, under the federal Title IX law, persisted, with a goal of deciding discipline for the students involved.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026