hang on

verb

hung on; hanging on; hangs on

intransitive verb

1

: to keep hold : hold on to something

2

: to persist tenaciously

a cold that hung on all spring

3

: hold on sense 2

I'll get the answer if you can hang on.

see also:

hang on to

Examples of hang on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws, Reaves missed again, and the Thunder hung on to secure their sixth berth in the Western Conference finals in the last 16 seasons. —ABC News, 12 May 2026

At the 100-day mark, the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie could hang on a strand of DNA that's still being evaluated by scientists at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, in hopes of identifying her abductor. —Anna Schecter, CBS News, 12 May 2026

In the exhibition, surrounded by 100 of them, hung on white cloth in a grid, the horror of the conflict is irrefutable. —Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026

Then the scene’s perspective shifts, and Amadeus reveals that Salieri’s look of disgust is not for his younger rival but for the figure of Jesus Christ hanging on a cross above the sanctuary. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hang on

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

Kids Definition

hang on

verb

1

: to keep hold or possession especially tightly

hang on or you'll fall

hang on to your money

2

: to continue stubbornly

a cold that hung on all spring