hold down
Britishverb
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to restrain or control
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informal to manage to retain or keep possession of
to hold down two jobs at once
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Also, keep down . Limit, restrain, as in Please hold down the noise . [First half of 1500s] Also see keep down .
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Work at or discharge one's duties satisfactorily, as in He managed to hold down two jobs at the same time . [ Colloquial ; 1800s]
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.
Increasing workers’ premium contributions was the most popular strategy this year among employers trying to hold down healthcare cost increases, according to the KFF survey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Modern people need education to hold down decent-paying jobs, and civic participation depends on the ability to read, write and reason.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026
Isabel Wang explained how governments’ efforts to intervene and prop up currencies or hold down interest rates might have the opposite effect.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
And to their loved ones who continue to wait, pray, and hold down the home front: Thank you.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
When his chin went hard, he was really trying to hold down the lid on a private volcano, but sometimes the lid blew.
From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
