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

Second Team Period Malik Willis at QB Willis threw a pass across the middle right to Tyrell Dobson, who couldn’t hang on to the interception. — Tyler M. Carmona, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Partisan attachment in urban and suburban areas has been remarkably stable in recent decades, but rural areas have shifted sharply, meaning that Republicans want to hang on to their new advantage and Democrats want to swing things back. — Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

The deceptively simple work is part sculpture, part assemblage, part collage and features a vintage wooden ironing board set beside a white sheet hung on a line with six wooden clothespins. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026

Use it as a standalone piece of decor in the garden or hanging on your front porch, or pair it with the Courtly Bird Feeder for a matching look. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 28 July 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