View synonyms for

holding pattern

noun

a traffic pattern for aircraft at a specified location holding point where they are ordered to remain until permitted to land or proceed.
a state or period in which no progress or change is made or planned.

holding pattern

noun

the oval or circular path of an aircraft flying around an airport awaiting permission to land

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Word History and Origins

Origin of holding pattern¹

First recorded in 1950–55

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Skydance’s $8-billion takeover of Paramount has been in a holding pattern for months as the two companies wait for federal regulators’ approval.

From

The latest blip confirming long-proposed reforms held in a permanent holding pattern was the April sacking of Ju’Riese Colón, CEO of the U.S.

From

When lockdowns forced our regular routines into a holding pattern, workdays and weekends slid together.

From

The Oscars ceremony was far less surprising than the nominated films, creating a dissonance between forward-thinking filmmaking and an honorary institution stuck in a holding pattern.

From

That's a word I hear often from activists: they describe Russian opposition forces in a kind of holding pattern.

From

holding paddock holding tank

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