hold over
Third Person
holds over
Present Participle
holding over
Past Tense
held over
Past Participle
held over
1
to use information or secrets one knows about an individual to control, threaten, or pressure them into doing what one wants
- He discovered a secret about his coworker and decided to hold it over him to gain an advantage at work.
- She learned about her friend's past and didn't hesitate to hold it over her when they had an argument.
- The manager held the employee's past mistakes over him, making it difficult for him to request time off.
- The rival candidate tried to hold damaging information over the politician during the election campaign.
- She discovered his embarrassing childhood photo and held it over him to get him to do her a favor.
2
to retain goods or merchandise, typically from one season to the next, for future sale or use
- They chose to hold over some of the holiday decorations for the next season.
- The store decided to hold its winter inventory over for the following year.
- The surplus stock was held over in the warehouse until demand picked up.
- Due to an unexpected delay, the fashion retailer had to hold their spring collection over.
- The agricultural produce was held over in cold storage until market conditions improved.
Synonyms:
3
to maintain someone or something in a position or state that dates back to an earlier period of time
- Despite the change in leadership, they held over some of the experienced staff.
- The company's traditions were held over even after the change in ownership.
- The historical significance of the building was held over despite renovations.
- The principles of democracy were held over from the country's founding.
- Some of the old policies were held over from the previous management.
4
to prolong or extend a term of office or position beyond its regular or expected duration
- The mayor was held over for an additional year due to the ongoing infrastructure projects.
- The president of the organization had to be held over until a suitable replacement was found.
- The board members were held over temporarily to address pending matters.
- The school principal was held over for another semester to manage the school's transition.
- The professor was held over as the department head to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.
5
to postpone or delay addressing something, leaving it for future consideration or action
- The discussion about the budget was held over due to time constraints.
- They decided to hold over the decision until they had more information.
- Due to a key witness's unavailability, they held the court case over.
- The matter was held over to the next quarter for financial reasons.
- Because of technical issues, they had to hold over the software release until next week.
6
to extend the showing or performance of a film, play, or similar entertainment for a longer duration than originally planned
- The film was so well-received that it was held over for an extra month at the theater.
- Because of sold-out shows, they held the concert over for an additional night.
- The art exhibit was held over to allow more people to enjoy the artwork.
- Due to overwhelming audience demand, they held the play over.
- The successful comedy show was held over for multiple weekends.
7
to delay or postpone either an event or someone's progress for a later time
- The meeting was held over until the necessary participants could attend.
- Due to the weather, the flight was held over until conditions improved.
- The coach held the training session over until all team members were present.
- Mechanical issues with the plane held us over in the city until repairs were complete.
- They held the presentation over until the main speaker arrived.