hold over

Delay until later

To hold over is to keep something in place beyond its expected end.

A film held over stays in theaters for additional weeks.

A holdover employee remains from a previous administration.

To hold something over someone is to use it as leverage against them—a threat kept ready: She held his past mistakes over him for years.

A holdover is anything that persists from an earlier time: That policy is a holdover from the previous regime.

postpone

delay

Enforced waiting period

shelve · reschedule · adjourn · suspend · stay · carry forward · push back · remand · set aside · reserve

continue

persist

Continue firmly onward

prolong · keep going · sustain · retain · stay on · preserve · perpetuate · stretch out · drag out

leverage

exploit

Notable act or abuse

intimidate · manipulate · control · guilt-trip · weaponize

Opposites
TEMPORAL CONTINUATION (extending/postponing)

hold overconclude

End or infer

end · wrap up · terminate · finish · close out

RETENTION VS RELEASE (keeping in position/captivity)

hold overrelease

To let go

let go · free · discharge · liberate · dismiss

THREAT/LEVERAGE (using something against someone)

hold overforgive

Cease to blame

absolve · let off the hook · pardon · excuse · exonerate

Family

holdover, holdovers

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G