hang in

verb

hung in; hanging in; hangs in

intransitive verb

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

Hoping 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 there

If there was ever a mismatched couple it was this one, but the children begged them to hang in there.

—Joseph Wambaugh

If she hung in there long enough, he would change. It just took a lot of patience with a little reasoning.

—Gloria Naylor

Examples of hang in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His last appearance came in the AFC Championship Game, a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots that ended with a few painful what-ifs hanging in the air for him and the Broncos. — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

But the fate of Mangione’s state case, set to go to trial next month, now hangs in the balance as his attorneys seek to get second-degree murder and weapons charges dismissed over double jeopardy protections. — Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026

Vuong’s photographs are displayed rather conventionally on the gallery walls, but the viewing experience is enhanced by images of his that have been printed on cloth banners that hang in the center of the space. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026

The state case now hangs in the balance Within hours of the plea, Mangione’s defense filed a motion to dismiss the separate New York murder and weapons charges against him. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hang in

verb

informal

: to refuse to be discouraged or frightened

Hang in there, kid! Don't quit.