Holding pattern and Wait

Holding pattern

Holding pattern noun - An instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business.
Usage example: the couple has been trapped in this holding pattern for six months, as adoption officials create more red tape

Wait and holding pattern are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Wait" instead a noun phrase "Holding pattern".

Wait

Wait noun - An instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business.
Usage example: there was a long wait for the manager to come and help us

Holding pattern and wait are semantically related. You can use "Holding pattern" instead a noun "Wait".

Nearby Words: waited, waiting, waiter
Cite this Source
Wait and Holding pattern. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/holding_pattern/wait
Holding pattern & Wait. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/holding_pattern/wait>.
Wait or Holding pattern. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/holding_pattern/wait.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "holding pattern" and "wait" have occurred on timeline