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.
Vernacular music has long exerted a powerful hold over our American identity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
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
As Scales' dementia took hold over 10 series, the couple talked openly about the condition and how they were coping with it while the cameras followed their boat.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Notably, the two K-shapes feed off each other as well…the top 10% of households by wealth hold over 87% of all corporate equities and mutual funds.”
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
They shout to us in English, with British accents, I think, muffled through the rags they hold over their noses and mouths.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
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.
