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.
Some investors said they were still enthusiastic about technology stocks and expected them to retain their hold over the broader market despite the volatility this year.
The elections in around 35,000 villages, towns and city boroughs are held over two rounds on consecutive Sundays.
From Barron's
Teams like the Raiders and Titans have significant cap space but many roster holes, with the 10 teams with most space holding over $600 million combined.
The hearing will be held over four days, after which ICC judges must decide if there is enough evidence to proceed to a full trial.
From BBC
We Pay The Tariffs, a coalition of small businesses that has spoken out against the tariffs, said the trade war has put hiring and expansion plans on hold over the past year.
From MarketWatch
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.
