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

Phrases

hang on to

: to hold, grip, or keep tenaciously

Examples of hang on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Leaving the liner hanging on the shower rod and curtain rings, spray the solution generously all over the shower curtain liner. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025

This team will probably go as far as QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb can carry it … assuming Lamb can hang on. —Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025

The bloody corridors are filled with screeching buzzsaws, slashing knives and earlier victims hanging on meat hooks. —Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025

While fewer and fewer Americans have the frog-spearing know-how required for most amphibian hunting, the practice is still hanging on in some pockets of the southeastern United States. —Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2025

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