holding patterns

noun

plural of holding pattern
1
as in suspensions
a state of temporary inactivity repair work on the bridge was in a holding pattern for the duration of the winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delays
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 patterns The incursions forced Chișinău International Airport to temporarily suspend arrivals and departures Tuesday, sending incoming flights into holding patterns or diverting them to neighboring countries, according to tracking data. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Several flights bound for the capital landed at airports outside Moldova or were forced into holding patterns, according to data from Flightradar24. — Gwladys Fouche, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 So should investors expect these trades to build up momentum again, or are these holding patterns set to continue? — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026 Some of the most common causes for the delays were the gate not being ready, taxiway congestion, holding patterns, runway queues, crew or equipment delay and weather restrictions. — Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025 Inbound flights that had been placed in holding patterns were cleared to land, and no cancellations were reported. — Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holding patterns
  1. suspensions
  2. delays
  3. waits
Noun
  • The 49ers have had their share of suspensions this season with owner Jed York currently serving a league suspension for violating the personal conduct policy after he was arrested in a prostitution sting in Ohio.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Two students were expelled, and two received lengthy suspensions.
    — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of suspensions
Noun
  • The opening of the III Points fest sounded a sour note for thousands of fans who poured into Wynwood for a weekend of music only to experience ticketing issues, delays and chaos among the crowd.
    — Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of delays
Noun
  • International funding, Patil says, means long waits, complicated contracts and co-production treaties, and Indian filmmakers end up chasing the same grants as professionals from wealthier countries.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Long lines can be a strong deterrent to voting, especially for Black and Latino voters, who on average have experienced longer waits than white voters, according to a June 2020 report by the Brennan Center for Justice.
    — TIME Staff, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of waits

Browse Nearby Words

holding pattern
holding patterns
holdings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All