Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

holding pattern

NOUN
waiting path or place
Synonyms


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.

See Examples For:

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and his seemingly supernatural competence at both city management and marketing, has laid a blueprint for kitchen-table progressives looking to bust out of the Trump-era holding pattern.

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026

After the chaos of Ben Stokes' retirement and the sacking of Brendon McCullum, England are in a strange holding pattern.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

I contacted the other driver’s insurance company, and they said they’re waiting for the accident report before moving forward — so I’m basically in a holding pattern.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

In advance of Nvidia’s earnings, investors didn’t have much else to parse, turning a breakneck rally into more of a holding pattern, said Gina Martin Adams, chief market strategist at HB Wealth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

It wasn’t until the third holding pattern southwest of Kennedy Airport that Klotz told ATC that he didn’t think the plane had enough fuel to reach an alternative airport.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell




Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com