hold over
Britishverb
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to defer consideration of or action on
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to postpone for a further period
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to prolong (a note, chord, etc) from one bar to the next
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(preposition) to intimidate (a person) with (a threat)
noun
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an elected official who continues in office after his term has expired
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a performer or performance continuing beyond the original engagement
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Postpone or delay, as in Let's hold this matter over until the next meeting . [Mid-1800s]
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Keep something in a position or state beyond the normal period, as in The film was to be held over for another week . [First half of 1900s]
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Continue in office past the normal period, as in The committee chair held over until they could find a suitable replacement . [Mid-1600s]
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hold something over someone . Have an advantage or use a threat to control someone. For example, They knew he'd been caught shoplifting and were sure to hold it over him . [Second half of 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A Compass spokesperson also told MarketWatch that the company is not hiding listings, but it is opposed to Zillow’s hold over the real-estate market.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
The cooling appears to have taken hold over just a few decades.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
A legal fight between MP Materials and USA Rare Earth complicates the breakneck effort to loosen China’s hold over critical materials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Analysts view the platform as evidence of China’s renewed push to tighten its hold over the contested shoal, 145 miles from Luzon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
I pushed this advantage ruthlessly, for it was the most effective means I had found of breaking his hold over me.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
