hold out
Britishverb
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(tr) to offer or present
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(intr) to last or endure
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(intr) to continue to resist or stand firm, as a city under siege or a person refusing to succumb to persuasion
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to withhold (something due or expected)
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to wait patiently or uncompromisingly for (the fulfilment of one's demands)
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informal to delay in or keep from telling (a person) some new or important information
noun
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a person, country, organization, etc, that continues to resist or refuses to change
Honecker was one of the staunchest holdouts against reform
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a person, country, organization, etc, that declines to cooperate or participate
they remain the only holdouts to signing the accord
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Extend, stretch forth; also, present or offer something. For example, He held out his hand and she took it , or The new policy held out promise of major changes in the welfare program . These usages date from the first half of the 1500s and of the 1600s respectively.
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Last, continue to be in supply or service, as in The food is holding out nicely . [Late 1500s] Also see hold up , def. 4.
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Continue to resist, as in The garrison held out for another month . [Second half of 1700s]
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Withhold cooperation, agreement, or information, as in We've asked for a better deal, but they've been holding out for months . It is also put as hold out on , as in They were still holding out on some of the provisions , or He's not telling us what happened; he's holding out on us .
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hold out for . Insist on obtaining, as in The union is still holding out for a better contract . [c. 1900]
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.
And if you can hold out for a month, Season 3 of the “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” is coming in June.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
The club are also expected to hold out for at least the £107m they paid Benfica to sign him in 2023 - a British transfer record at the time.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
How long can the U.S. economy hold out?
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
But many wonder how long the city can hold out.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
“Boy, boy,” I said in a low voice, “if my luck will just hold out, I’ll have my pony and gun.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
