hold on

verb

held on; holding on; holds on

intransitive verb

1

a

: to maintain a condition or position : persist

b

: to maintain a grasp on something : hang on

2

: to await something (such as a telephone connection) desired or requested

broadly : wait

Phrases

hold on to

: to maintain possession of or adherence to

Synonyms

• abide
• bide
• continue
• endure
• hold up
• keep up
• last
• perdure
• persist
• remain
• run on

Examples of hold on in a Sentence

the ancient beliefs still held on in remote mountain villages

hold on a minute—it's not your turn

Recent Examples on the Web

He was held on a $250,000 bond and was schedule to be arraigned at Derby Superior Court on Thursday. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 6 Mar. 2025

Garnish with 3 drops of maraschino cherry juice and cut a physalis from below to be held on a rim of the glass. —Jillian Dara, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025

The 9th Annual Love Rocks NYC concert benefiting God’s Love We Deliver will be held on March 6, 2025 at the Beacon Theatre at 8 p.m. —Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2025

In its roller-coaster lifetime Covenant Christian School has occupied a number of churches but has always held on to the dream of one day acquiring a place of its own. —Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for hold on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

hold on

verb

1

: to keep a hold

2

: wait entry 1 sense 1a