HOLDS ON Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

holds on

verb

present tense third-person singular of hold on

as in remains

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

as in waits

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 holds on The compilation misses remaining in the highest tier by only two rungs, while The Essential Michael Jackson barely holds on inside the bottom quarter of the 200-position roster. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 House Bill 945 establishes new regulations for cryptocurrency kiosks and allows financial institutions to place temporary holds on transactions when elder financial exploitation is suspected. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 June 2026 Nava’s specific approach to reining in rogue behavior by AI agents is the creation of an escrow service that holds on to funds until an agent proposes a transaction. — Jack Kubinec, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026 The camera holds on them mid-ascent. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 27 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds on

Verb

But while money remains unclaimed, the government benefits from having control of it.

— Mark Lewyn, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Bleecker remains nimble, with roughly 30 employees in New York and Los Angeles, and has a reputation for doing its best to rein in costs.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of remains

Verb

The department’s administrative case runs on its own timeline under Chapter 302 of the Missouri Revised Statutes while the criminal prosecution moves through court, and neither one waits for the other.

— Karen Koehler, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
But mental health challenges do not pause while the organization waits.

— Stephen Sokoler, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of waits

Verb

Technology continues to shape the landscape of financial advice, including robo-advisors and digital advice via artificial intelligence platforms.

— Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
While their work with BCA continues, the Mitchells went a step further and created their own breast cancer organization, Pink Aid.

— Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026