How to Use hold against in a Sentence

hold against

phrasal verb
  • The Dolphins’ picks are very much aware of what was held against them in the draft process.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 May 2024
  • The past wasn't being held against him; the present was being held against him.
    David Schenker, Foreign Affairs, 18 May 2015
  • The footage shows Brito is still for a number of seconds as he is held against the doorway.
    Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024
  • And his son now wanted to go into the army and was this going to be held against him.
    David Schenker, Foreign Affairs, 18 May 2015
  • Even moving to New England from New York was not held against him.
    Bill Pennington, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024
  • In the trailer, Michonne searches high and low for Rick, who appears to be held against his will by the Alliance of the Three.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 10 Jan. 2024
  • In the video, Mr. Wilson said that the two men had been well treated, despite being held against their will.
    Andre Paultre, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
  • The man’s wife was inside the home, but there was no evidence she was being held against her will.
    Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 1 Aug. 2023
  • This person's lack of comfort in large, noisy groups was also held against them.
    Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 19 July 2023
  • There was a fear Protestant girls would be kidnapped, forced to become Catholic nuns and held against their will, Davies said.
    Greg Garrison | , al, 11 Aug. 2023
  • Then more clips: fans trying to figure out if Spears was being held against her will.
    Laura Zornosa, TIME, 19 Oct. 2023
  • The sensation was similar to the feeling of a hot cup of coffee being held against the skin.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Oct. 2023
  • This led to Jenkins and Parker receiving false charges, which would be held against them, the true victims, for months after the fact.
    Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 15 Aug. 2023
  • Fox was the former owner of the home, where Cuevas-Ingram was allegedly held against her will, tortured and killed, Sanguedolce said.
    Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
  • The woman was being held against her will in the hotel and pimped out by Johnson, according to police.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2024
  • At one point the group learned Smith had sent the text message to a gang member, saying she was being held against her will in National City.
    David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2023
  • The years-long grudge the swans hold against their former friend devolves into a P.R. war to be won by whoever seems the least pathetic.
    Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2024
  • Deputies arrived around 5 p.m. to serve a warrant on Clark and found him in a tent with a woman being held against her will, authorities said.
    Louis Casiano, Fox News, 8 May 2023
  • Sunday, the 49ers settled for a field goal, hoping their defense could hold against a multiple-time champ in Mahomes.
    Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024
  • That level of protection held against the strain found in nearly all circulation of Covid right now: JN.1.
    Erika Edwards, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024
  • The device hooks onto a rifle’s stock, the part of the gun that is held against the shoulder, and harnesses the energy from the gun’s kickback to bump the stock back and forth, allowing the weapon to fire faster.
    Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
  • Mental health patients in Arkansas can be held against their will for 72 hours if they are deemed a danger to themselves or to others.
    Laura Strickler, NBC News, 23 July 2023
  • That charge is related to a woman with disabilities who told police she was abused and held against her will.
    Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2024
  • Ryan felt compelled to visit because a number of his constituents feared their adult children were being held against their will.
    Jackie Speier, Washington Post, 18 July 2024
  • Monday’s groundbreaking was held against the backdrop of a backhoe clawing the wall of one of the complex’s eight buildings, two already torn down to the foundation.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2024
  • At least 26 former patients have sued Dr. Brian Hyatt, alleging they were held against their will in his unit.
    Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 24 July 2023
  • Well, that’s actually on you, and if Julie has a dynamic personality that brings all the moths to the flame, that’s not something to hold against her.
    Wayne and Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 11 June 2023
  • The missing woman contacted her stepmother for the first time in seven years and said she was being held against her will, police said.
    Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024
  • The track chronicles the cornucopia of grudges Margera has been holding against his crude companions.
    Brittany Vincent, EW.com, 25 July 2023
  • That decision obviously backfired when the jury held against the NFL and imposed about $4.7 billion in damages.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 July 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hold against.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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