hold one's fire

1. Refrain from comment or criticism, especially for the time being. For example, Hold your fire, Jim, she's not finished yet, or Nancy decided to hold her fire until she had more information. This expression alludes to refraining from shooting a gun and originated in the military.

Example Sentences

The drillmaster’s wisdom quoth that the mark of the true soldier is not the ability to fire, but the courage to hold one’s fire; that the expertise is not in the hot moment of engagement, but in its delay.

Read more on Literature

But it was hard to hold one's fire when the thud of those charging hoofs was coming closer.

Read more on Project Gutenberg