holding pattern

noun

Definition of holding patternnext
1
as in suspension
a state of temporary inactivity repair work on the bridge was in a holding pattern for the duration of the winter

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business the couple has been trapped in this holding pattern for six months, as adoption officials create more red tape

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 holding pattern Ariane 6 has made a difference for Europe, but for the rest of the commercial launch industry, a holding pattern remains as Falcon 9 backstops all. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026 Perhaps the Switch 2 is Nintendo’s holding pattern amidst an industry in peril. — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 A bit like a holding pattern is used for aircraft waiting to land at an overly busy airport. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 July 2026 But the Heat, like all of the teams pursuing James, is essentially in a holding pattern on filling those needs. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for holding pattern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding pattern
  1. suspension
  2. delay
  3. suspense
  4. wait
  5. cold storage
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Track Mode lowers the suspension so drivers can adjust the car for more aggressive handling.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Madrid's Vinícius will serve the first of a four-game suspension later Sunday for pulling the hair of a Villarreal player and aggressively confronting the referee in the previous round.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of suspension
Noun
  • Musk has repeatedly treated the sports car as a lower priority than Tesla’s other projects, while also blaming supply chain shortages for earlier delays.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The freight forwarder said Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Port is congested with 10-to-12-day landside delays after cargo is discharged.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of delay
Noun
  • The new season will place an emphasis on suspense, dread and psychological terror, and expand the use of archival materials, photographs, home videos and social content.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Verity Crawford is at the height of her popularity, discussing her wildly popular romantic-suspense series, Noble Virtues, on national TV.
    — Fawnia Soo Hoo, Allure, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of suspense
Noun
  • Brokers no longer face a mandatory 12-hour wait period between educational seminars and sales presentations.
    — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • More intricate jobs can take longer, as my testing shows, but the results reward the wait.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of wait
Noun
  • Then the other piece is just large companies, could be their corporate headquarters, could be warehouse, could be distribution, could be cold storage.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Lineage cold storage warehouse was the site of a massive fire that started June 17 and took about a week to put out.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of cold storage

Browse Nearby Words

holding (past)
holding pattern
holding patterns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Holding pattern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holding%20pattern. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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