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

Historical context: This will be the first presidential inauguration ceremony not held on the West Lawn of the Capitol since Ronald Reagan‘s in 1985, which was also moved indoors due to cold weather. —Cate Martel, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images So, with the blessing of his boss, Rep. Sidney Yates, D-Ill., Alderman inserted some language in the appropriations process: The Committee has provided no funding for crowd counting activities associated with gatherings held on federal property in Washington, D.C. —Tamara Keith, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025

For an overview of the market, Playoff games held on campus for the first time in the first rounds ended up being the biggest draws. —Christopher Kamrani, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025

The Rockets got within one on a couple of occasions in the final minutes, but the Kings held on to win after going 9 of 9 at the free-throw line in the final 33 seconds. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

hold on

verb

1

: to keep a hold

2

: wait entry 1 sense 1a