hang tight

American

[hang tahyt] / ˈhæŋ ˈtaɪt /

idiom

Informal.

to wait for something to happen, often with some tension or anxiety.

Just hang tight and give me a moment to figure this out.
Her court date's not till next week, so there's not much I can say to her except hang tight and try not to get in any more fights.

Etymology

Origin of hang tight

First recorded in 1915–20

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:

hang tight

According to Tulsa World, Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain told the crowd to hang tight while the medical team checked on the drummer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

So hang tight, and enjoy the frustrating suspense.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026

The 2010 Derby Borel won with Super Saver stuck out as the blueprint to hang tight to the rail, get the lead and cross the finish line first.

From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2024

“If you are in a queue, please hang tight — queues are moving and we are working to get fans through as quickly as possible,” it said.

From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2022

“Quiz tomorrow on identifying subatomic particles. Just hang tight until it’s time to go.”

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023