holding pattern

American  

noun

1. a traffic pattern for aircraft at a specified location holding point where they are ordered to remain until permitted to land or proceed.

2. a state or period in which no progress or change is made or planned.

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holding pattern British  

noun

1. the oval or circular path of an aircraft flying around an airport awaiting permission to land

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Etymology

Origin of holding pattern

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Fulham are now very much in a Premier League holding pattern.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

For now, prices are “in a holding pattern, waiting to see if the extra reserves pumped into the market run out before the patience of the warring parties,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

U.S. rates markets were moving from acute escalation risk toward a cautious holding pattern after the U.S.-Iran cease-fire, but confidence in durability remains limited, the strategists said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The Flightradar24 tracking website earlier showed planes circling above the airport in an apparent holding pattern.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

The school week is like a holding pattern.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King