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.
He marveled at Epstein’s hold on so many people.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
But why, oh why, do they hold on to Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott?
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
As often happens, narratives quickly take hold on Wall Street that attempt to explain the change.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
De Rothschild strengthened her family’s hold on Edmond de Rothschild by taking it fully private in 2019.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
“You can start by putting your crate in the garage over there. I’ll hold on to it, in case I ever have to send you back to the factory.”
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
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.
