hold the line

Idioms  

1. Maintain the existing position or state of affairs. For example, We'll have to hold the line on spending until our profits rise. This term alludes to former military tactics, in which a line of troops was supposed to prevent an enemy breakthrough. Eventually, it was transferred to civilian enterprises. [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

The court’s mini “Cuba docket” offers us unexpected insights about Justice Elena Kagan, the only justice to hold the line on both cases, including her first-ever solo dissent in her 16 years on the bench.

From Slate • Jul. 1, 2026

The team at the lab, "they hold the line, and we want them to, because ultimately, if we don't make safe products, we'll never sell reactors," she said.

From Barron's • Jun. 28, 2026

“We ask them to hold the line in final negotiations.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

"It shows how quickly we can adapt, how we can hold the line and how much we can develop," he says.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Pete kept on him, talking so gently and sweetly that he seemed all the more furious in his discipline, and I thought he had to be murdering himself inside to hold the line like that.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee