HANGING ON Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

hanging on

verb

present participle of hang on

as in keeping up

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Dissimilar Words

as in holding on

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanging on

Verb

In turn, keeping up with the new federal loan changes has become almost as challenging as making the payments for the borrowers who are struggling to afford their student loan debt.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Some respondents have opted to reduce their plan contributions or borrow from their 401(k)s to meet other financial goals, such as reducing debt, paying for emergency expenses or keeping up with rising living costs, according to the results.

— Lorie Konish, CNBC, 15 July 2026

Definition of keeping up

Verb

There’s nothing wrong with holding on to childhood and being a little immature from time to time.

— Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026
That puts me in the same boat as many millennials and Gen Zers holding on to the family phone plan, one of their last financial ties to their parents.

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of holding on

Verb

Not just within your four walls or your own locations, but how much inventory is someone else carrying on your behalf?

— Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Twain and Marie-Anne became close friends, and Twain was shocked to learn that Marie-Anne and Lange had been allegedly carrying on an extramarital affair—losing both her husband and her best friend in one fell swoop.

— Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 31 July 2026

Definition of carrying on

Verb

More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted's neck.

— Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
The more water that’s hanging around in the fibers of your clothes after the wash, the more time your clothes are going to take to air dry.

— Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of hanging around

Verb

After originally planning to stay on anyway, Alice has decided to seek other opportunities and would like a letter of recommendation after sticking around for Ted’s transition period.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
Employees are still coffee badging, the practice of swiping into the office and sticking around long enough to have a cup of coffee before heading out to finish the workday at home or elsewhere.

— Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

Definition of sticking around

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“Hanging on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanging%20on. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of hanging on

verb

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