1
: having the effect of holding back or delaying something
The [war] represented a holding action against the spread of world Communism.—
Sidney Offit
2
: intended for usually temporary storage or retention
a holding tank
Examples of holding in a Sentence
Noun
penalized 10 yards for holding
the holding of “not guilty” took everyone by surprise
Adjective
The troops were engaged in a holding action until reinforcements could arrive.
Recent Examples on the Web
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Nvidia comes on board Corning and Nvidia struck a multiyear partnership and supply agreement that will tie the fortunes of these two Club holdings even closer together.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 6 May 2026
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
This, combined with raising rates, is bad for the whole food chain including our holding Boeing.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
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Noun
The only figures who seemed to take the RAISE Act personally were those who viewed any regulation of the industry as a major threat to both national competitiveness and their own equity holdings.
—Adjective
Inspectors observed several critical violations, including improper cold and hot holding temperatures, unsafe food storage, and inadequate handwashing and glove practices, city officials said.
—Cite this Entry
“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holding. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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