holdover

1 of 2

noun

hold·​over ˈhōld-ˌō-vər How to pronounce holdover (audio)
: one that is held over

hold over

2 of 2

verb

held over; holding over; holds over

intransitive verb

: to continue (as in office) for a prolonged period

transitive verb

1
b
: to retain in a condition or position from an earlier period
2
: to prolong the engagement of
the film was held over another week

Examples of holdover in a Sentence

Noun He is the only holdover from their last championship team. This policy is a holdover from the previous administration. Verb the golf tournament had to be held over until the line of thunderstorms had passed through
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Barry replaced Mike Pettine, who was a holdover from the previous regime. Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2024 Fifth-year guard Jay Heath, a starter who transferred to Georgetown ahead of last season, is one of the only holdovers from Patrick Ewing’s 2022-23 roster. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2024 In the album of the year category, the eight contenders include six holdovers from the record of the year category — SZA, Swift, Rodrigo, Boygenius, Cyrus and Batiste — plus albums by Lana Del Rey and Janelle Monae. Anna Tingley, Variety, 4 Feb. 2024 Weaver becomes the third defensive coordinator McDaniel will have in as many seasons, succeeding Fangio and Josh Boyer, who was a holdover from Brian Flores’ staff. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2024 Wilson would replace Shane Bowen, who is a holdover from coach Mike Vrbael’s staff. Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2024 The Bucks feature several holdovers, led by Antetokounmpo, from the team that won the NBA championship in 2020-21. Pat Graham, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 Wagner will share ballot space with holdovers who easily cleared 5% and who appear to be on the kind of upward trajectory that landed other stars in Cooperstown, including outfielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones. David Faris, theweek, 25 Jan. 2024 Familiar faces The 49ers have much less Super Bowl experience than Kansas City, but there are several holdovers from the 2020 squad that fell short to the Chiefs. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2024
Verb
Trump has regained his hold over the party since the 2022 midterm and is the GOP’s presumptive nominee, with endorsements from almost two-thirds of the Senate conference. Sara Dorn, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Possession of such a weapon would be banned for those under 21, and the measure would also prohibit the sale of certain ammunition-feeding devices that can hold over 10 rounds. Sarah Rankin, Quartz, 7 Feb. 2024 Finger foods: Finger foods are ideal to hold over hungry guests until the main entree is ready. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 7 Feb. 2024 But lawmakers still managed to hold over 1,000 roll call votes between the Senate and the House of Representatives, giving us a trove of data to dissect and analyze. Tia Yang, ABC News, 29 Jan. 2024 Sam Ricketts is a disgruntled former employee held over from the prior administration who was seemingly unable to work well with our new administration. Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 14 Feb. 2024 Voting in the presidential election will be held over three days in March, with an opaque system of electronic voting poised to play a central part for the first time in a presidential vote. Natalia Abbakumova, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2024 The donor backlash at Ivy League schools raises questions about the sway wealthy individuals hold over educational institutions. Matt Egan, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024 The temperatures likely affected turnout at events held over the weekend and continue to threaten participation tonight. Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'holdover.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1893, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1647, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of holdover was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near holdover

Cite this Entry

“Holdover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdover. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hold over

verb
: to continue beyond a normal or planned time
the movie was held over for three weeks
holdover
ˈhōl-ˌdō-vər
noun

Legal Definition

hold over

intransitive verb
: to remain in a position or condition
one who holds over in possession of a building after the expiration of a term of yearsB. N. Cardozo
holdover noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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