Difference between “hold out the possibility” and “hold the possibility”

Question

“We’ve seen this movie before. The top economists at the International Monetary Fund — the global agency created after World War II to promote stability and growth in the world economy — unveil their latest forecast, which is almost always weaker than its previous forecast. The economists hold out the possibility that world growth will improve if the most important countries, including China and the United States, adopt sensible policies and cooperate with one another.”

https://www.richmond.com/opinion/columnists/robert-j-samuelson-column-why-the-global-economy-remains-so/article_049c3851-e59a-5325-9da0-e431d291ba31.html

Why does the writer use “hold out the possibility” instead of “hold the possibility”? I fail to see the difference between these two expressions according to the definition of “hold out”.

Hold out:

1 : to present as something realizable : proffer

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdout

Answer 1

To hold out means to offer, as the dictionary says. If I hold a dollar bill, it is in my hand, I possess it. It's in my hand. That's all. If I hold out a dollar bill to someone, e.g. by extending my arm, I am offering it to that person. To hold out a possibility is to offer it as a possible opportunity for consideration or action. To 'hold a possibility' does not make sense in that context.