holdout
Americannoun
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an act or instance of holding out.
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a person who delays signing a contract in hopes of gaining more favorable terms.
The basketball star was a holdout until they offered more money.
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a person who declines to participate, cooperate, agree, etc..
Aside from one or two holdouts, everyone contributed.
Etymology
Origin of holdout
First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase hold out
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.
Those announcements were enough to persuade two holdout Republican lawmakers, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, on Monday to end their opposition, clearing the biggest obstacle to Blanche’s nomination.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Like James, Mack is seasoned in contract negotiations, having famously signed a record six-year, $141-million extension with the Bears in 2018 after a holdout with the Raiders had him shipped to Chicago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Facebook owner Meta is one holdout among major tech companies backing Anthropic's action.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
Western Digital still has one holdout in Baptista Research, which has an Underweight rating on the stock.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
Was this farm just a lone holdout against industrial food?
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
