hang in
verb
hung in; hanging in; hangs in
informal
: to refuse to be discouraged or intimidated : to keep going, trying, or working in a difficult situation
… did not hang in long enough to win even a battle.—
Marvin E. Frankel
Marvin E. FrankelHoping to hang in until some series he works on runs five years and makes him $50 million in syndication …—Chris Chase
—often used in the phrase hang in thereChris ChaseIf there was ever a mismatched couple it was this one, but the children begged them to hang in there.—Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph WambaughIf she hung in there long enough, he would change. It just took a lot of patience with a little reasoning.—Gloria Naylor
Gloria Naylor
Examples of hang in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The tiny creatures have long been a favorite because of their ethereal appearance and curious way of hanging in the water column.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2023
Pivetta got ahead, 1 and 2, but Varsho hung in and got a hanging curveball on the eighth pitch and drove it 392 feet to right field.
—Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023
Drying sweet grass and other native medicinal plants hung in bundles from the pipes and walls or tucked into ceramic baskets subtly perfume the air.
—Briana Miller | , oregonlive, 11 Sep. 2023
The woman giving birth alone on Sunday comes months after the widow of a Montgomery County Jail inmate who was found hanging in his cell filed a $2 million lawsuit negligence against the jail and sheriff’s department.
—Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023
Then, Camila is spotted showing off her toned abs in said bikini while clutching a book and a mandarin, and Camila hanging in the grass with an ice cube on those epic abs (because why not?).
—Korin Miller, Women's Health, 28 Aug. 2023
The late Harry Reid, another teetotaler and a Senate leader when Pelosi was speaker, had a Dead poster signed by the entire band hanging in his home in Searchlight, Nev.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023
Despite her breezy delivery, the statement seems to hang in the air between them.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2023
Mistletoe Nothing says sharing the love like a bit of mistletoe hanging in a door frame.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2023
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Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2023
Pivetta got ahead, 1 and 2, but Varsho hung in and got a hanging curveball on the eighth pitch and drove it 392 feet to right field.
—Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023
Drying sweet grass and other native medicinal plants hung in bundles from the pipes and walls or tucked into ceramic baskets subtly perfume the air.
—Briana Miller | , oregonlive, 11 Sep. 2023
The woman giving birth alone on Sunday comes months after the widow of a Montgomery County Jail inmate who was found hanging in his cell filed a $2 million lawsuit negligence against the jail and sheriff’s department.
—Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023
Then, Camila is spotted showing off her toned abs in said bikini while clutching a book and a mandarin, and Camila hanging in the grass with an ice cube on those epic abs (because why not?).
—Korin Miller, Women's Health, 28 Aug. 2023
The late Harry Reid, another teetotaler and a Senate leader when Pelosi was speaker, had a Dead poster signed by the entire band hanging in his home in Searchlight, Nev.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023
Despite her breezy delivery, the statement seems to hang in the air between them.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2023
Mistletoe Nothing says sharing the love like a bit of mistletoe hanging in a door frame.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hang in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1966, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hang in
Cite this Entry
“Hang in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang%20in. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
hang in
verb
: to refuse to be discouraged or frightened
hang in there, kid! Don't quit
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