hold on
Britishverb
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to maintain a firm grasp
she held on with all her strength
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to continue or persist
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(foll by to) to keep or retain
hold on to those stamps as they'll soon be valuable
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to keep a telephone line open
interjection
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Also, hold on to . Maintain one's grip, cling, as in Hold on to your hat in this wind , or The early Christians held on to their beliefs despite strong opposition . [Early 1500s]
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Continue to do something, persist, as in Please hold on for a while longer . [Late 1800s]
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Stop, wait, as in Hold on! We can't go past this gate . [Mid-1800s]
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Remain on a telephone line, as in If you can hold on a minute I'll go and find her . [Late 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.
England's hold on the Jules Rimet Trophy was removed by West Germany in a quarter-final played in the searing heat of Leon when they lost a two-goal lead and were beaten 3-2 after extra time.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026
Bersey upgraded shares of Adobe to buy from hold on Thursday and raised his price target to $308 from $282, saying that Adobe’s platform is “sticky” due to user familiarity with its workflow.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
He was sweet but he didn’t have a hold on his emotions.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026
Do you sell now for a tax loss or hold on for a miraculous turnaround?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
“Git a hold on his head,” he told me.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
