HOLDS OUT Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

holds out

verb

present tense third-person singular of hold out

as in survives

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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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 out The woman pushes her sunglasses on top of her head and holds out a hand. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 Havelock neither retreats to the closet nor holds out hope for resolution via vigilante justice. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Wilson holds out hope that federal lawmakers will amend their law to allow hemp sales to continue, though any such change faces an uphill battle. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026 Upon arrival, a staffer holds out a tray of tropical popsicles as a first touch of hospitality. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 Or Gonzalez fully holds out and risks fines. — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026 No matter how many shows you guys do, his voice just holds out. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2026 The owner who holds out for yesterday’s pricing can discover that extended vacancy carries a cost that is far greater than a small concession would have been. — Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 2 May 2026 The gamble that Dallas plays in this instance is if Pickens holds out from voluntary and mandatory offseason activities until a long-term deal is worked out. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holds out

Verb

Precious little of anything survives from a millennium ago, let alone textile, let alone narrative textile, hundreds of feet of it, unfolding in scene after scene with the colors still crisp.

— John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
The wires are long gone, but wire house survives as a term for a large brokerage firm with a national network of offices.

— Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026